Baking: Method and Recipes

Ingredients for baking
Image by Markus Spiske

Baking is a way of cooking sweet or savory items in the dry heat of an oven. Although baking itself is a relatively easy process, it is good to have some knowledge of the role each ingredient plays in creating the final dish.

Different ingredients strengthen, bind, thicken, sweeten, leaven and add moisture. Some ingredients, like milk and sugar, perform multiple roles. And others will only carry out their duties under very specific conditions. For this reason baking is often compared to the science of chemistry.

You shouldn’t be intimidated by baking though. A reasonable knowledge of basic methods and ingredient functions opens up a world of variety and creativity that is the raison de faire cuire au four of the typical pastry chef.

International Baking Recipes

Torta Pasqualina 
(Italian Easter spinach, ricotta and egg torte)

Gingerbread Men 
(English spiced Christmas cookies)

Pâte Brisée 
(French pastry crust for savory tarts and pies)

Empanadas 
(Latin savory stuffed pastries)

Cherniy Hleb 
(Russian black bread)

Pie Crust 
(American dessert pastry crust)

Pflaumenkuchen 
(German plum tart)

Koulourakia 
(Greek Easter butter cookies)

Bichak 
(Afghan stuffed savory and sweet pastries)

Pan de Muerto 
(Mexican anise-scented bread for the Day of the Dead)

Pita 
(Mediterranean pocket bread)

Tarte Tatin 
(French caramelized apple tart)

Yemarina Yewotet Dabo 
(Ethiopian spiced honey bread)

Torta de Plátano 
(Colombian plantain bread)

Torta Maria Luisa 
(Latin marmalade-filled layer cake)

New York Cheesecake 
(American Mid-Atlantic cream cheese dessert)

Baking Powder Biscuits 
(American breakfast quickbread)

ANZAC Biscuits 
(Australian, New Zealand oatmeal and coconut cookies)

Quesadilla Salvadoreña 
(Salvadoran sweet cheese poundcake)

Barmbrack 
(Irish fruit bread)

Torta di Noci 
(Italian walnut cake)

Strawberry Shortcake 
(American strawberries with a sweet biscuit)

Lefse 
(Norwegian potato flatbread)

Socca Niçoise au Four 
(French Provencal chickpea bread)

Banana Bread 
(Caribbean sweet quickbread)

Basboosa 
(Egyptian semolina cake)

Makroud el Louse 
(Makroud el Louse)

Lokshen Kugel 
(Israeli Jewish sweet noodle pudding)

Broa de Milho 
(Portuguese yeast-leavened cornbread)

Pizza Napoletana 
(Italian traditional pizzas from Naples)

Apple Pie 
(American apple tart)

Torta di Mele 
(Italian apple torte)

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Baklava 
(Eastern Mediterranean nut and phyllo sweet pastry)

Blueberry Pie 
(American blueberry-filled double-crust tart)

Peach Cobbler 
(American peaches baked with pastry)

Kulich 
(Eastern Orthodox sweet Easter bread)

Sweet Potato Pie 
(American, Southern-Soul sweet potato open-faced tart)

Lekach 
(Israeli Jewish honey cake)

Tah Chin 
(Persian layered rice and chicken dish)

Scones 
(Scottish quick teacakes)

Cornbread 
(American cornmeal bread)

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)

Blitzkuchen mit Obst 
(German quick and easy coffeecake with fruit)

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