Oven Times for Different Size Baking Dishes

[Shel_B]

This afternoon I'm making a cheese and spinach frittata.  It's usually made in an 8x8 dish, but this time I want to make it in a larger dish, which is about 10x10.  The dishes are of the same material, vintage Corningware baking dishes. 

 

I am sticking with the same recipe, so the volume will be the same for each dish.  Of course, the thickness of the frittata will be less in the larger dish.  With that in mind, should I reduce the baking time?  It's usually about 350-deg for 40-minutes in the 8x8 dish.

[Deryn]

I apologize if this seems too simple for you, Shel - but what I would do, knowing it will be thinner, is to check it earlier than you would normally do and stick a knife/skewer in it to check for doneness.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Deryn (log)

[pastrygirl]

I agree with your suspicion and with Deryn, the thinner layer should cook a little more quickly.  i would check it at 25 minutes and go from there.

[Ttogull]

The thinner frittata will likely cook in less time, all else equal. If I did my math right, the 10x10 should be 64% of the thickness of the thickness of the 8x8 since you are keeping the volumes equal. That's probably going to be a big reduction in cooking time. I'd personally start checking at about 22 or so minutes, keeping in mind that repeated checking will slow the cooking.

In a lot of things, thickness matters more than volume. All else equal, two 8x8 frittatas should take about the same time as just one. Nothing is equal though.

[Shel_B]

Thanks all.  Just knowing that the baking time needs to be adjusted is a big help.  The frittata is in the oven now and - whoops! the timer just went off @ 28-minutes ... looks pretty good, so I'll remove from the oven and let it cool.  Thanks again to everyone.

[Ttogull]

You overcooked it by 2.4 minutes! (64% of 40 minutes is approximately 25.5 minutes). J/k. Sounds good, and I think I'd prefer it thinner.

[dcarch]

There is also the factor of larger surface area means more evaporative cooling.

 

Most reliable would be using a thermometer.

 

dcarch

[Shel_B]

Most reliable would be using a thermometer.

 

 

 

Good idea, although I've never determined what the internal temp of the dish should be, so there's no point of reference.  I've always made the dish and determined doneness by what it looks like.

[Ttogull]

Good idea, although I've never determined what the internal temp of the dish should be, so there's no point of reference.  I've always made the dish and determined doneness by what it looks like.

I often search for others' opinions about certain dishes. For instance, googling the internal temp of frittata gives several responses between 150 and 170 F. I'd probably do 160 the first time, and then adjust to my preferences. I am inexperienced at cooking many things, but I usually nail stuff if I research the internal temps first.

[Shel_B]

I often search for others' opinions about certain dishes. For instance, googling the internal temp of frittata gives several responses between 150 and 170 F. I'd probably do 160 the first time, and then adjust to my preferences. I am inexperienced at cooking many things, but I usually nail stuff if I research the internal temps first.

 

This frittata is unlike any that I've seen mentioned on the net (3/4-lbs of cheese, more than 2-lbs of spinach, not many eggs, thick, soft, and cheesy), although I'm sure that somewhere something similar can be found. I don't know if the internal temp of a more typical frittata would be appropriate for this puppy.  I'd be happy to post the recipe should you, or anyone, be interested.  In any case, I know what it should look like, so I can nail it pretty well every time by observation.  Plus, the thing is quite forgiving.  Thanks for your suggestion.

Edited November 19, 2014 by Shel_B (log)

[Dave W]

Internal temp should be the same as other frittattae, you're still cooking the eggs and not the other ingredients.

[MSRadell]

This frittata is unlike any that I've seen mentioned on the net (3/4-lbs of cheese, more than 2-lbs of spinach, not many eggs, thick, soft, and cheesy), although I'm sure that somewhere something similar can be found. I don't know if the internal temp of a more typical frittata would be appropriate for this puppy.  I'd be happy to post the recipe should you, or anyone, be interested.  In any case, I know what it should look like, so I can nail it pretty well every time by observation.  Plus, the thing is quite forgiving.  Thanks for your suggestion.

It sounds really good, please post the recipe.

[Shel_B]

It sounds really good, please post the recipe.

 

Will do in a couple of days ... away from my recipes now.

[Shel_B]

Posted the frittata recipe in Recipe Gullet section ....

[Deryn]

While the recipe looks delicious, I have to ask if a mere 4 eggs (and with the flour addition) binding all those vegetables is sufficient to justify its title of 'frittata'. I am sure you say potato and I say pot-ah-to (and that is fine - we can call our dishes whatever we want) but it looks to me as though the end result would be more like a vegetable dish held together by a few eggs - or an 'egg casserole' - than what I think of as a frittata.

So that raises the question - by culinary convention, is there a particular ratio/formula for eggs to other ingredients that 'defines' categories of egg dishes? And if you add (how much?) flour to an 'egg dish' does that immediately change what it is?

Edited November 22, 2014 by Deryn (log)

[Shel_B]

I got the original of this recipe from Toots, and she called it a frittata.  She got the original of her version from a school lunch program in Michigan about fifty years ago, and they called it a frittata.  Both Toots and I modified the versions we got to make it our own, but it's still essentially the same amount of eggs and cheese, and the amount of spinach used hasn't changed much over the years either.  I never would have thought to call it a casserole, but I've always wondered it it's really a frittata.  Still, whatever it really is, it is good ...

[Deryn]

Understandable.

However, knowing what the ratios are (or using a more specific classification for the dish - if there is such a thing) may affect things like responses, particularly from people who approach things from a very technical angle (not me - I just tend to try things out, fail a lot and learn) to questions about cooking times for a particular recipe when using various size baking dishes, particularly when the recipe itself is not yet available for analysis by the audience being asked the question.