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

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

Pflaumenkuchen 
(German plum tart)

Irish Soda Bread 
(Irish soda-leavened bread)

Lavash 
(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

Lokshen Kugel 
(Israeli Jewish sweet noodle pudding)

Banana Bread 
(Caribbean sweet quickbread)

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

Socca Niçoise au Four 
(French Provencal chickpea bread)

Pão de Queijo 
(Brazilian cheese buns)

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

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

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

Torta Maria Luisa 
(Latin marmalade-filled layer cake)

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)

Yemarina Yewotet Dabo 
(Ethiopian spiced honey bread)

Kulich 
(Eastern Orthodox sweet Easter bread)

Gingerbread Men 
(English spiced Christmas cookies)

Strawberry Shortcake 
(American strawberries with a sweet biscuit)

Quesadilla Salvadoreña 
(Salvadoran sweet cheese poundcake)

Empanadas 
(Latin savory stuffed pastries)

Lekach 
(Israeli Jewish honey cake)

Semita de Piña 
(Salvadoran jam-filled pastry)

Broa de Milho 
(Portuguese yeast-leavened cornbread)

Makroud el Louse 
(Makroud el Louse)

Barmbrack 
(Irish fruit bread)

Challah 
(Israeli Jewish braided Sabbath bread)

Apple Pie 
(American apple tart)

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

Torta Rustica di Mele 
(Italian rustic apple cake)

Baklava 
(Eastern Mediterranean nut and phyllo sweet pastry)

Koulourakia 
(Greek Easter butter cookies)

Clafoutis 
(French cherry flan)

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

Papaya Pie 
(Caribbean papaya-filled tart)

Apple Cake 
(American tender cake with apples)

Peach Cobbler 
(American peaches baked with pastry)

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Lefse 
(Norwegian potato flatbread)

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

Naan 
(Indian, Pakistani tandoor-baked bread)

Cherniy Hleb 
(Russian black bread)

Pie Crust 
(American dessert pastry crust)

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)

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

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

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