My bread always burns

Question

I'm using a recipe from a video (see below), at the right temperature (350°F). I don't know what the problem is, but the edges are always burnt. Should I try putting the pan over a container with water?

Carrot bread recipe:

• 2 cups of flour
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 tsp of cinnamon
• 2 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of oil
• 4 eggs
• 3 carrots
• 1/2 cup of nuts

Method:

• Preheat @ 180°C or 356°F
• Bake 1 hour

More: my pan is 26x29

I have this problem when making brownies (following the box recipe).

Answer 1

Bake 1 hour

It seems that you are baking by the clock. This doesn't usually produce good results, you should bake until it is done. The time suggested in the recipe is a rough guideline, not the time when you should take it out of the oven.

Start testing for doneness when it starts looking good, and take it out when it tests ready. It doesn't matter how long it was in the oven.

You only have to start changing things if the edges burn while the inside is still raw, but this doesn't seem to be the case here.

Answer 2

It's possible your oven thermometer is not calibrated. It's easy and cheap to buy a replacement thermometer instead of replacing the one internal to your oven. The Rubbermaid Commercial Stainless Steel Oven Monitoring Thermometer can be purchased on Amazon for $6-7.

I spoke with a friend recently who had a similar problem when they moved to an older home with a really old oven. He bought two different thermometers to test, and they both said the oven was at 525 F when the oven was set to 450 F. A temperature difference that large will substantially impact your cooking/baking times, and could easily lead to burnt bread and brownies.