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

Lavash 
(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

Makroud el Louse 
(Makroud el Louse)

Pasta per Torte Salate 
(Italian olive oil dough for savory tortes)

Torta de Plátano 
(Colombian plantain bread)

Baking Powder Biscuits 
(American breakfast quickbread)

Basboosa 
(Egyptian semolina cake)

Kulich 
(Eastern Orthodox sweet Easter bread)

Semita de Piña 
(Salvadoran jam-filled pastry)

Pastel de Tres Leches 
(Central American cake of three milks)

Malva Pudding 
(South African apricot-flavored baked pudding)

Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cookies 
(American cinnamon-scented baked treat)

Torta di Noci 
(Italian walnut cake)

Pan de Jamón 
(Venezuelan ham, raisin and olive bread)

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

Banana Bread 
(Caribbean sweet quickbread)

Focaccia Genovese 
(Italian olive oil bread with sea salt and rosemary)

Broa de Milho 
(Portuguese yeast-leavened cornbread)

Pão de Queijo 
(Brazilian cheese buns)

Lokshen Kugel 
(Israeli Jewish sweet noodle pudding)

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

Papaya Pie 
(Caribbean papaya-filled tart)

Acharuli Khachapuri 
(Georgian boat-shaped cheesebread with egg and butter)

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Hamantaschen 
(Israeli Jewish filled tricorner Purim pastries)

Strawberry Shortcake 
(American strawberries with a sweet biscuit)

Pizza Napoletana 
(Italian traditional pizza from Naples)

Naan 
(Indian, Pakistani tandoor-baked bread)

Clafoutis 
(French cherry flan)

Pavlova 
(Australian meringue with whipped cream and fruit)

Coca-Cola Cake 
(American cocoa-cola cake)

Gingerbread Men 
(English spiced Christmas cookies)

Koulourakia 
(Greek Easter butter cookies)

Socca Niçoise au Four 
(French Provencal chickpea bread)

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

Lekach 
(Israeli Jewish honey cake)

Pita 
(Mediterranean pocket bread)

Scones 
(Scottish quick teacakes)

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)

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

Barmbrack 
(Irish fruit bread)

Quesadilla Salvadoreña 
(Salvadoran sweet cheese poundcake)

Panforte 
(Italian Christmas honey fruitcake)

Bauernbrot 
(German farmer-style rye bread)

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

Yemarina Yewotet Dabo 
(Ethiopian spiced honey bread)

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