A baking oven and a method of operating the baking oven. The baking oven including a thermally insulated muffle, a circulating fan arranged inside of a fan compartment in the muffle, a least one heating device outside of the fan compartment and adjacent the walls of the muffle. The baking oven further including a control device for switching the heating device and circulating fan off and on, in accordance with a pre-determined temperature/time profile during the operation of the baking oven. The operation of the baking oven compensates for the difference in temperature between a temperature sensor adjacent a wall of the baking oven and the center of the muffle.