I use a recipe from Food Network for banana bread, no modifications. I bake it in a glass pan which has a nonstick coating on it (I think it's an Anchor Hocking pan). Every time I make it, by the time the regular baking time is up (1 hour at 325F), the top of the bread is still gooey and runny. A toothpick comes out with batter stuck to it. I bake it for an additional 15-30 minutes in order to get the top done properly. At that point, the bottom quarter of the loaf is getting burnt.
What can I do to ensure the loaf bakes evenly? Most of what I've seen online has been to prevent the top from burning, which is the opposite of my problem. Is it as simple as doing the opposite of what the solution is to that problem? That is, moving the oven rack up one level? My oven rack is set to the middle of the oven, and I am not sure how accurate the temperature setting is.
Best Answer
The usual remedy for something both burned and undercooked is lower heat, longer cooking time - it lets the temperature equalize a bit more, so it cooks more evenly. You might try 300F for your usual 1:20 cooking time, and see if it doesn't burn and/or needs more time.
Alternatively, since the overcooking is directional (from the bottom) you can move the rack up, so its closer to the top, or else put something underneath to partially block the heat - like having a sheet a rack below your bread, to hopefully provide a baffle to radiant heat and let the indirect heat spread a bit more evenly.
I would also recommend, as moscajf suggested, checking your oven temperature, and/or checking other recipes in the glass pan to see if there's similar issues, in case one of them is the culprit.