If you double a recipe, how does the cooking time typically change?

• A. It increases
• B. It decreases
• C. It stays the same
• D. It doubles

Answer: (A)

Doubling a recipe typically increases cooking time because more mass means heat has to travel farther to reach the center and achieve the target temperature. Heat transfers from the outside in, and when you have a larger volume or greater depth, it takes longer for the interior to heat through and for any desired textures or doneness to develop. The heat source and vessel usually stay the same, so you can’t expect the interior to heat up as quickly as it did with the original batch. This is especially noticeable in baking or any dish where depth matters. That said, the exact increase isn’t fixed—it depends on the dish and equipment—so use the original time as a starting point and check doneness in increments, using a thermometer for meat or a toothpick/skewer for baked goods.