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

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

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

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

Lekach 
(Israeli Jewish honey cake)

Coca-Cola Cake 
(American cocoa-cola cake)

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)

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

Torta de Plátano 
(Colombian plantain bread)

Malva Pudding 
(South African apricot-flavored baked pudding)

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

Peach Cobbler 
(American peaches baked with pastry)

Clafoutis 
(French cherry flan)

Apple Pie 
(American apple tart)

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Pizza Napoletana 
(Italian traditional pizza from Naples)

Semita de Piña 
(Salvadoran jam-filled pastry)

Bauernbrot 
(German farmer-style rye bread)

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

Quesadilla Salvadoreña 
(Salvadoran sweet cheese poundcake)

Pavlova 
(Australian meringue with whipped cream and fruit)

Scones 
(Scottish quick teacakes)

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)

Lavash 
(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

Kulich 
(Eastern Orthodox sweet Easter bread)

Gingerbread Men 
(English spiced Christmas cookies)

Apfelstrudel 
(Austrian apple strudel pastry)

Empanadas 
(Latin savory stuffed pastries)

Pie Crust 
(American dessert pastry crust)

Torta di Noci 
(Italian walnut cake)

Pão de Queijo 
(Brazilian cheese buns)

Tah Chin 
(Persian layered rice and chicken dish)

Bibingka Especial 
(Filipino sweet coconut and rice flour cake)

Snickerdoodles 
(American cinnamon-scented sugar cookies)

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

Strawberry Shortcake 
(American strawberries with a sweet biscuit)

Torta Rustica di Mele 
(Italian rustic apple cake)

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

Challah 
(Israeli Jewish braided Sabbath bread)

Bichak 
(Afghan stuffed savory and sweet pastries)

Lokshen Kugel 
(Israeli Jewish sweet noodle pudding)

Broa de Milho 
(Portuguese yeast-leavened cornbread)

Papaya Pie 
(Caribbean papaya-filled tart)

Banana Bread 
(Caribbean sweet quickbread)

Socca Niçoise au Four 
(French Provencal chickpea bread)

Lefse 
(Norwegian potato flatbread)

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