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 Maria Luisa 
(Latin marmalade-filled layer cake)

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)

Lokshen Kugel 
(Israeli Jewish sweet noodle pudding)

Empanadas 
(Latin savory stuffed pastries)

Bichak 
(Afghan stuffed savory and sweet pastries)

Lavash 
(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

Pão de Queijo 
(Brazilian cheese buns)

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

Coca-Cola Cake 
(American cocoa-cola cake)

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Baklava 
(Eastern Mediterranean nut and phyllo sweet pastry)

Scones 
(Scottish quick teacakes)

Apple Pie 
(American apple tart)

Pavlova 
(Australian meringue with whipped cream and fruit)

Hamantaschen 
(Israeli Jewish filled tricorner Purim pastries)

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

Pizza Napoletana 
(Italian traditional pizza from Naples)

Kulich 
(Eastern Orthodox sweet Easter bread)

Papaya Pie 
(Caribbean papaya-filled tart)

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

Irish Soda Bread 
(Irish soda-leavened bread)

Gingerbread Men 
(English spiced Christmas cookies)

Peach Cobbler 
(American peaches baked with pastry)

Makový Koláč 
(Czech poppy seed torte)

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

Barmbrack 
(Irish fruit bread)

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