It is interesting to know that there is no hard and fast rule for using any setting on the air fryer— say, the bake setting in air fryer will be used for baking cakes only.
You can use it for making various other recipes.
Today, we will address when to use the bake setting on the air fryer. We did several tests to find out the answer to this question.
You can use bake setting on air fryer for cooking for casseroles, roasted veggies, and baked goods like cakes and cookies. Baking prevents over-browning and allows food to cook through without drying out.
When To Use Bake Setting On Air Fryer? [Quick Guide]
Use of bake settings on your air fryer is not limited to baking only. You can use to cook many other recipes. Below I have mentioned three conditions that merit the use of the baking option in the air fryer.
Cook Without Stopping
Usually, when you cook in an air fryer, you must flip the sides of the food halfway through the time.
To do that, you must pause the cooking process, take out the air fryer basket and flip the inside contents.
But when you use the bake setting, you can cook continuously as the food cooking inside, such as lasagna or pudding, does not require flipping.
Change Texture and State During Cooking
Using the bake setting is ideal when you need to make recipes that result in the transformation of texture and state of the ingredients.
For instance, cakes, cookies, puddings, etc., are all in liquid or semi-liquid form at the start of cooking. They change their state during cooking and hold a definite shape.
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Keep The Inside Soft
You need to use the baking function in the air fryer when making foods whose inside needs to be kept soft and must not be overcooked. Things like chicken wings turn out well when using the bake setting. The exterior turns crispy while the inside cooks soft and juicy.
If you want an extra-crunchy exterior, you can cook them for a couple more minutes at the air-crisp setting after their baking timer runs out.
Things You Can Cook With Bake Function In An Air Fryer
You can cook many things in the air fryer using the bake setting. Some foods bake better than others, though they need special considerations.
Similarly, baking cookies in an air fryer also turns out well; however, each cookie should be at least one inch apart when arranged on the basket.
Also, you must allow them to settle for one to two minutes after they are cooked.
Apart from cookies and pies, you can bake lasagna, muffins, pizzas, macaroni, cheese-stuffed chicken, etc.
Also, you can bake fried Oreos, Cinnamon rolls, beignets, various types of bread, and much more in your air fryer.
Baking Cake In The Air Fryer
FAQs
What should you not bake in an air fryer?
You can bake many things in an air fryer, but there are some exceptions too. Some things you cannot bake in an air fryer include delicate baked foods and meringues. Air fryer baking is not ideal for these recipes because of their delicate nature. Also, you should not use an air fryer for baking battered foods and cake donuts. Leaving them for deep fryers is better as the air fryer will dry them out.
What's the difference between air fry and bake setting?
Air frying is when you need a crispy crust on the outside with a fluffy and soft inside. Baking is similar to what happens in an oven, where food cooks slowly from the inside. Therefore, it takes longer. In the bake setting, the crust is usually not very crunchy.
Do you air fry take the same time as bake?
The time for air frying and baking is not the same. Since air frying food needs a higher temperature, cooking time often reduces. Whereas, in baking, cook time is often longer as the required temperature is usually low.
Which is faster air fry or bake?
Air frying is a bit faster than baking as the temperature required for air frying is higher. The sole reason for higher temperatures is the crispier crust you want to achieve through air frying, which you cannot get by using the bake setting.
Wrapping Up!
Unlike what you might have thought, the bake setting can be used to cook various air fryer recipes. Using bake settings in an air fryer is ideal for foods that must be cooked slowly and thoroughly from the inside and not be too crispy from the outside. The low temperature prevents the outer crust from being highly crisp while cooking the inside properly.