Cookies
Burnt or over-browned bottoms
4 likely causes, sorted by where the problem lives. Work down the list and change one variable at a time.
Likely causes
- equipmentDark or thin pan absorbing and radiating too much heat.
- equipmentRack too low.
- equipmentOven too hot.
- formulaToo much sugar.
What to change
- Use heavy, light-coloured sheets. Dark pans brown noticeably faster, and the standard correction is about 25 °F (14 °C) lower.
- Double-pan by stacking two sheets.
- Move to the centre rack.
- Lower the temperature and rotate part way through.
Read it with the four domains in mind
FormulaThe recipe itself: ratios, quantities, and ingredient choice.
TechniqueWhat you did: mixing, shaping, timing, handling.
EnvironmentThe room: temperature, humidity, altitude, storage.
EquipmentThe gear: oven calibration, pans, mixer, tools.
Adapted from the master symptom matrices in Environmental Variables & Troubleshooting. General sourcing across these tables: Figoni (2011); Gisslen (2016); Corriher (2008); McGee (2004); Modernist Bread (2017); King Arthur Baking technical guides; BAKERpedia.
Other cookies symptoms
Spread too much, came out thin
Didn't spread, stayed mounded
Cakey when you wanted chewy
Tough
Uneven baking or browning across the sheet
Cookies, Macarons & Petits Fours · The full troubleshooting method · All 50 symptoms