Why did the pie rise in the oven and sink as soon as it was taken out?

The first thought is usually about a recipe or leavening agent, but more often it’s the process itself. We’ve gathered six reasons why baked goods sink and categorized them by dough type, since the mechanism differs between sponge cakes and yeast breads.

There are gas bubbles inside the dough, and they expand when heated, which is why the bread rises. At the same time, proteins and starches begin to stabilize the structure and form a framework that maintains the shape when there’s nothing left to expand.

If the framework has time to set, the product will maintain its height even on the table.

If not, the opposite happens: the bubbles cool down, the gas compresses, and there is nothing left to support the center. Therefore, almost all cases of sinking boil down to one thing: either the framework didn’t have time to stabilize or it was disrupted along the way.

The biscuit rises and then sinks right in the middle. It relies on the air whipped into the eggs, but this air is easily lost due to prolonged mixing after adding flour, shaking while being transported to the oven, or the door being opened too early.

The underbaked center settles for another reason: the starch in it hasn’t yet set.

Doneness is checked toward the end: a dry wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, the cake no longer springs back under pressure from fingers, and it slightly separates from the sides. Flour is mixed in short motions from bottom to top, and after turning off the oven, it’s allowed to rest in the pan if the recipe specifies.

In the bowl, the dough is fluffy, but it becomes flat or has a dip in the pan. Baking powder and soda start working as soon as they come into contact with liquid and acid, so if the dough sits on the counter, some of the gas escapes uselessly.

An excess of leavening agent has the opposite effect: the rise is vigorous and rapid, but then it falls just as quickly. Liquid dough also holds bubbles less well.

Therefore, the oven is preheated in advance, and the dough is placed in it right after mixing. The proportions are taken from the recipe rather than estimated visually. Baking soda is added where there is acid; otherwise, it doesn’t react fully and leaves an aftertaste.

The dough rose and deflated when placed in the oven. In yeast dough, the gluten structure holds it together, and if the dough rises too much, the gluten stretches beyond its limit and the weight can no longer support it. If it didn’t rise enough, it simply didn’t get enough time to rise.

Check the rise by using a finger: the indentation should slowly return to about half its original depth. If the indentation remains as it is, the dough has risen too much; if it returns quickly, more time is needed.

You should focus on the dough’s condition rather than the minutes specified in the recipe, as the rising time depends on the kitchen temperature. Also, don’t move or shake the dough unnecessarily once it has risen.

At home, everyone follows recipes, yet the results vary each time. Every oven has its own heating characteristics, so the same settings can yield different outcomes.

Leaving the door open allows cold air in, which disrupts the baking process, so it’s better not to touch it during the first part of baking. The glass is there so you can monitor progress without opening the door.

The position of the baking pan also matters: if it’s too high, the top will cook before the center is done. How well your oven heats up can be determined by testing it a few times, while information about settings and convection features can be found in the manual for your specific model.

The dough worked well, but the cake turned out low with a dip in the center. Using a too large pan results in a thin layer that appears sunken, even though nothing fell into it. On the other hand, an overfilled pan prevents the dough from rising evenly, causing the center to sink.

The preparation of the pan also varies depending on the type of dough. For sponge cakes, the walls are usually not greased because the dough needs something to cling to as it rises, and it rises differently in a silicone pan compared to a metal one.

If sinking occurs with different recipes and proper preparation, the cause should be sought not in the dough but in the oven or the leavening agent itself.

Settling almost always means that the dough structure hasn’t had time to firm up or has been disturbed. In the case of a sponge cake, it’s the loss of air and an open door; for a loaf, it’s the cake resting on the table; for a yeast dough, it’s over-fermentation. It’s wise to check for doneness closer to the end based on texture rather than time, and it’s better not to open the door before then.