There’s a kind of magic in learning your oven’s quirks—like figuring out which corner runs hotter or how to nudge the door just right for steam.
Totally get this. I’ve spent way too much time with an oven thermometer, trying to map out the “hot spots” in my old GE. It’s weirdly satisfying once you know exactly where to put the bread pan for that perfect rise. Convection is supposed to make things more even, but honestly, I think it just dries stuff out faster—especially pizza crust.
I’ve read some folks use convection for the first half of baking, then switch it off. Never tried it myself, but maybe that’s a workaround for the doughy middle? Still, nothing beats a heavy stone and regular heat for bread. There’s just something about that slow, radiant warmth that convection can’t fake.
Progress is great for power tools... not always for pizza night.
- Totally agree about convection drying things out—especially thin crusts.
- Mapping oven hot spots is underrated. I’ve taped a little “sweet spot” marker inside mine for bread.
- Heavy stone + conventional heat = best crust, hands down.
- Tried the convection-then-off trick once... didn’t notice much difference, honestly.
- Sometimes, old-school methods just work better for certain recipes.
