Makin' The Bacon!! I use the sheet pan method for making bacon. Benefit of this is bacon that isn't curled and is evenly cooked. It also keeps your stovetop from getting spattered with bacon grease.
Start with a sheet pan. I had 18 slices so I needed two sheet pans. The first step is do NOT pre heat the oven. The secret to this method is that you don't preheat. More on that later. I suggest lining your pans with aluminum foil since it will make cleanup alot easier. Lay out the slices on the pans so there is enough space between them and none are touching. Once you have your pans ready it is ready to place them into a cold oven. Then you can set the oven to 350°.
Here is where not preheating comes into play. By slowly raising the heat, you will render more fat from the bacon earlier in the process. It also will keep the finished bacon flat. The reason bacon cooked in a frying pan curls up is that the pan is hot and the bacon is cold or room temperature. That initial shock of the protein will curl it and make it hard to have evenly cooked bacon.
Absolutely critical to this method is that you are constantly watching the cooking process and setting the timer. Cooking times will vary based on how thick the slices are. If you have thin bacon, start the timer at eight minutes. Most ovens have a window and I suggest turning the oven light on so you can keep track of the rendering without having to open the oven door.
The bacon I made was thick cut (about 1/16th of an inch) and it took close to 20 minutes. Your oven also may have cold spots and if so, I suggest rotating the pans after the first eight minutes. After eight minutes you can see how cooked your bacon is and set the timer for a few more minutes. Keep checking until the bacon reaches the doneness you like. Keep in mind that the bacon will continue to cook once you take it out, especially if you leave it in the bacon grease. You should have a ceramic plate with paper towels ready so you can lift the cooked bacon off for draining. You want to keep it separate so that the slices don't stick together. The end result is delicious bacon!!
