Baking technicality: turn pan or not?

Hi friends!

I have a question about a baking technique. I recently acquired Martha Stewart's new baking book and was inspired to bake a batch of madeleines this past weekend. One of the tips she adds in her book is to turn the pan 180 degrees halfway through baking for even "done-ness". Now, I did this with my madeleines and they didn't rise like they're supposed to. I know that on other occasions, when baking cookies or cakes, this didn't happen (ie. the stuff still rose).

So, my question is, when do you follow this turning-of-the-pan-midway rule and when do you not?

Thanks!

My experience is that you need not bother at all, depending on your oven and how well you know it. The turning the pan is simply to ensure even baking/browning by "evening out" the temperatures to which the pan is exposed. Thus, if the back of the oven is warmer, both "sides" of the madeleines will be exposed to warmer/cooler parts of the oven for the same periods. It's never a bad idea with any oven, but if you don't have a problem with even baking/browning, my experience is you don't need to bother. As to the failure to rise, it seems highly unlikely in the extreme that your maneuver is what caused the failure. Could the baking powder/soda have been old? That would definitely do it.... Or conceivably not enough acid?

My new convec oven recommends swapping trays if you have multiple in the oven -- I can see that -- but says nothing about turning a tray midway.

Of course with moving air, a convection oven probably doesn't need the turn.