Camp Oven Baking Tips

Author: Anya Keinzley  

Do you and your friends have a bit of a sweet tooth and are looking at mastering your baking skills on your next camping trip? If that answer is yes, then this one is for you.

Baking with a camp oven is fun, but it can definitely come with its challenges, especially for those who are yet to experience the wonders and downfalls of camp oven cooking-life. But don’t let this stop you from diving in and testing it out. Trust us, once you ace the method you will be bored by your day-to-day kitchen cooking.

PREHEAT

Preheating your camp oven is key. Heat control is not an exact science with camp cooking, so trust yourself and do your best. You want to heat your oven prior to baking your yummy foods to ensure a regulated temperature within the oven.

WHAT TO USE 

Use a trivet at the bottom of your camp oven, to allow constant air flow. This will evenly cook your baked goods!

TIMING TIPS 

Our cooking times for each recipe will vary depending on what we are cooking. So, the major factor to consider is temperature. Now you are probably wondering how do I check the temperature?

Well it’s as simple as having some paper towel handy. Tear off a piece of paper towel and lay this inside the camp oven - on top of the trivet is best to measure an exact reading. Give the paper towel a minute and then compare the colour to the following measurements:

  • Paper = cream or pale yellow, 180°C
  • Paper = yellow to light brown, 200°C
  • Paper = dark brown, 230°C
  • Paper = black and smoking, 250°C & over

DISTRIBUTION OF COALS 

There are several cooking practices with our Quart cooking ovens: simmering and sewing, broiling, baking and roasting. Therefore, we have tried and tested the best way to distribute coals to get the best possible result. To bake, we want 16 coal beads on the lid, and 8 coal beads beneath the base.

Majority of the coals sit on the lid, and the minority sit on the bottom when baking. We do this to ensure the food does not end up frying like on a skillet. Taking this step will also promote even cooking because no one likes doughy cake.

Click here to refer to our coal distribution diagram.