A muffin baking question

[butterfly_warrior]

Now that I am armed with two muffin trays, I have plans to cook up a double batch of muffins and get a heap in the freezer (a step we keep missing out on as muffins fresh out of the oven are just so yummy!).

My oven isn't wide enough to allow two trays to go in side by side. I figure I have two options.

1. Put them on separate shelves and bake at the same time.
2. Bake one tray, and then bake the other when the first is finished so that they can go on the same shelf in the oven.

Which option do you think would be best?

BW

[Janie]

You can bake them at the same time on different shelves, and just swap the trays over halfway through cooking. I wouldn't bother doing them separately, too much trouble for me

[LaDeeDa]

Hmmm...I would do them seperaetely personally as it's normally pretty important to have them on the middle shelf...

[sloane]

i'd do them separately but that's because the heat in my oven isn't even - they'd burn on the lower shelf even if i swapped them half way through.

[butterfly_warrior]

I am a little worried about how they'll go at different heights, but I didn't think to swap them over half way (thanks, Janie!). But I'm also a little worried about what might happen to the muffins as they sit and wait to bake... my oven is quite slow, so they'll be sitting for around half an hour or more while I wait for the first batch to cook (there's only a few recipes that work out ok for me).

BW

[LaDeeDa]

I am a little worried about how they'll go at different heights, but I didn't think to swap them over half way (thanks, Janie!). But I'm also a little worried about what might happen to the muffins as they sit and wait to bake... my oven is quite slow, so they'll be sitting for around half an hour or more while I wait for the first batch to cook (there's only a few recipes that work out ok for me).

BW

That won't hurt them BW...if anything it will pobably stop them cracking

[rufalina]

I would just cook the first double batch together rotating the trays, and see how you go. If that doesnt work, the do them separate.

[bon]

I would cook one at a time, takes a bit longer but less risk of burning the bottoms and edges of the muffins. Letting the batter sit for a while before cooking shouldn't be a problem.

[Rouge]

The most important thing is the type of oven you have. If you don't have a fan forced oven and your element is on the bottom don't bother with turning them as the heat is inconsistent and uneven (even at the top) and if the oven needs to reheat in that time you can risk burning the bottoms of the muffins.

If you have a fan forced oven and no exposed element you should be fine to swap trays. But like Dee said if you do them one at a time they will be fine And another handy purchase is the 24 muffin hole trays as they are often smaller and can fit into the ovens perfectly.

[Rouge]

The most important thing is the type of oven you have. If you don't have a fan forced oven and your element is on the bottom don't bother with turning them as the heat is inconsistent and uneven (even at the top) and if the oven needs to reheat in that time you can risk burning the bottoms of the muffins.

If you have a fan forced oven and no exposed element you should be fine to swap trays. But like Dee said if you do them one at a time they will be fine And another handy purchase is the 24 muffin hole trays as they are often smaller and can fit into the ovens perfectly.

[Erin_25]

we have a fan forced oven & I always cook big batches of biscuits, cakes etc on all the shelves at the same time....never a prob. I never rotate either. Just pop temp a little lower & watch them.
As for leaving the mixture sit, no worries there either....have done this too not a prob.

[butterfly_warrior]

It's not a fan-forced oven. When my cheeky little munchkin actually lets me get some stuff done again later today, I'll do them one at a time. I've decided it's cold enough to not really worry about having the oven going for the extra time! If I was baking in Summer I might look into doing things a little differently.

BW