Abstract: A method is provided for cooking a food item in an oven cavity of a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance including a first heating element and a second heating element spaced about the oven cavity. The method includes a first stage wherein the first heating element and the second heating element are sequentially energized according to a first duty cycle in which the first heating element is energized at a first time for a first duration and the second heating element is energized at a second time for a second duration. The first duration and the second duration are regulated based on a measured temperature and a first predetermined target temperature.