Baking Tips: How To Bake Without An Oven?

Many of us cannot imagine baking without an oven. Although it is the quintessential gadget or equipment that you need to bake many preparations, it is still possible to bake without an oven. Yes, you heard it right. Keep reading to know more.

The oven is an important part of a kitchen and it serves many purposes and many households nowadays have their ovens. It is one of the quintessential equipment that you need for baking but it is also not indispensable. Many of us cannot imagine baking without an oven but what if we tell you that baking delicious and fluffy baked goods is still possible even if you don't have an oven? You can make your favorite goodies without an oven by simply opting for different methods of cooking. Although it is different from conventional oven baking, these methods still help in making the most of the situation if no oven is available. Before, we get into the methods, let's learn what exactly an oven is.

What Is An Oven?

An oven is a closed cavity or tube in which dough or batter is baked and turned into bread, cookies, or other items in the presence of a hot environment.

Ovens use energy generation sources such as the burning of fuels such as gas or oil, or electricity, to bake the items. Radiation, conduction, and/or convection transmit the released available energy from these sources to the products.

The oven establishes and maintains the right heat flux, humidity, and temperature conditions to carry out the baking process and remove moisture from the products.

Why An Oven Is So Relevant?

For numerous reasons, the oven is the most significant processing stage in the baking industry:

• It is the bakery's workhorse. A bakery's output is usually determined by the capacity of the oven.
• Heat and mass transfer processes occur concurrently within this piece of equipment, causing physicochemical and biological changes in the product.
• The final qualities of the products (e.g., shelf life, flavor, texture, color, and scent) are imparted during baking in the oven.
• It performs a critical kill step that keeps germs at bay within the product.

How To Bake Without An Oven?

Microwave

Microwaves can quickly cook food and help you get dinner on the table. Some microwaves include functions comparable to conventional ovens, such as convection cooking, broiler-like heat, or low heat to keep food warm.

A microwave convection oven has an extra heating element as well as a fan that circulates hot air throughout the chamber. This capability allows you to immediately bake and roast foods such as a casserole or a whole chicken in the microwave.

Countertop Ovens

A countertop oven is a smaller version of a regular range or wall oven that has similar capabilities and benefits but is ideal for your tabletop.

Having a countertop oven as well as a full-sized oven in your kitchen might assist you in preparing larger meals with varying cooking requirements. Consider a convection countertop oven for more cooking possibilities, as well as new techniques like air frying.

Certain countertop ovens include complex features and settings that allow you to perform the same if not more, duties than a full-sized oven. They do, however, have a smaller capacity for many dishes or huge dinners.

Slow Cooker

Slow cookers, which are sometimes ignored and underutilized, are excellent out-of-the-box kitchen gadgets for baking. While slow cookers are typically used for casseroles and stews, they are also excellent for baking a wide range of breads and delectable desserts, including cakes, puddings, and pies, as well as brownies, cookies, and crumbles.

Baking using a slow cooker can be simple if you like it first or arrange your ingredients in a silicone pan (or a metal cake/loaf tin).

Pressure Cooker

Similar to a slow cooker, a pressure cooker can bake a wide range of foods, but it is sadly underutilized most of the time.

The likelihood is that you can use a pressure cooker to do any baking task, be it bread, cakes, or anything else you feel like baking. It cooks frequently better than using a regular oven, and you can even use it to create cheesecake.

The best part is that pressure cookers cook food quickly—you may have the finished dish in your hands in as little as 30 minutes. You might have delectable baked goodies in no time if you adhere strictly to the directions and follow the book.

Steaming

Steaming is a traditional method of baking without an oven that is particularly famous for preparing Christmas puddings. While a steamed pudding mold is the best (and easiest) way to achieve this, the same appearance can be obtained using a bowl sealed with foil using the conventional wrap-and-tie approach.