About the Oven

Whether your oven is gas or electric, old or new, expensive or inexpensive – all of this is unimportant compared with knowing your oven’s heat distribution and exact temperature. Since so many ovens have inaccurate settings, I strongly recommend the use of an oven thermometer. When baking a delicate pastry, a setting error as small as 25˚F can make a difference, so it is best to know your oven’s temperature exactly.

All the recipes on this website were tested in my old ancient gas oven. It had four racks, and for most pastries my own best luck was with the lowest rack. If your racks are spaced differently than mine, or if you have an electric oven, you may get better results by moving up to the lower-middle area of the oven. It is impossible to be very specific about this problem: try out alternatives to decide the best course for your situation. But whatever you do, preheat the oven beforehand and always place the pan in the center of the rack.