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

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

Torta Maria Luisa 
(Latin marmalade-filled layer cake)

Pie Crust 
(American dessert pastry crust)

Empanadas 
(Latin savory stuffed pastries)

Torta de Plátano 
(Colombian plantain bread)

Bauernbrot 
(German farmer-style rye bread)

Yemarina Yewotet Dabo 
(Ethiopian spiced honey bread)

Makový Koláč 
(Czech poppy seed torte)

Banana Bread 
(Caribbean sweet quickbread)

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

Cherniy Hleb 
(Russian black bread)

Irish Soda Bread 
(Irish soda-leavened bread)

Barmbrack 
(Irish fruit bread)

Torta di Noci 
(Italian walnut cake)

Peach Cobbler 
(American peaches baked with pastry)

Lavash 
(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

Lefse 
(Norwegian potato flatbread)

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

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

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

Torta di Mele 
(Italian apple torte)

Apfelstrudel 
(Austrian apple strudel pastry)

Baking Powder Biscuits 
(American breakfast quickbread)

Basboosa 
(Egyptian semolina cake)

Coca-Cola Cake 
(American cocoa-cola cake)

Papaya Pie 
(Caribbean papaya-filled tart)

Pão de Queijo 
(Brazilian cheese buns)

Challah 
(Israeli Jewish braided Sabbath bread)

Bibingka Especial 
(Filipino sweet coconut and rice flour cake)

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

Tah Chin 
(Persian layered rice and chicken dish)

Lekach 
(Israeli Jewish honey cake)

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)

Pita 
(Mediterranean pocket bread)

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)

Socca Niçoise au Four 
(French Provencal chickpea bread)

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

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

Clafoutis 
(French cherry flan)

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

Snickerdoodles 
(American cinnamon-scented sugar cookies)

Panforte 
(Italian Christmas honey fruitcake)

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

Quesadilla Salvadoreña 
(Salvadoran sweet cheese poundcake)

Malva Pudding 
(South African apricot-flavored baked pudding)

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