Preheating and pan placement
Preheat the oven if the recipe calls for it. To preheat, set the oven at the correct temperature. Preheating is necessary for good results when baking cakes, cookies, pastry and breads.
For ovens without a preheat indicator light or tone, preheat 10 minutes.
Baking results will be better if baking pans are centered in the oven as much as possible. Pans should not touch each other or the walls of the oven. If you need to use two racks, stagger the pans so one is not directly above the other, and leave approximately 11⁄2″ between pans, from the front, back and sides of the wall.
Aluminum foil
You can use aluminum foil to line the broiler pan and broiler grid. However, you must mold the foil tightly to the grid and cut slits in it just like the grid.
Aluminum foil may also be used to catch a spillover.
Never entirely cover a rack with aluminum foil. This will disturb the heat circulation and result in poor baking.
A smaller sheet of foil may be used to catch a spillover by placing it on a lower rack several inches below the food.
Cut slits in the foil just like the grid.
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