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

Lokshen Kugel 
(Israeli Jewish sweet noodle pudding)

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

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

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

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

Baking Powder Biscuits 
(American breakfast quickbread)

Pavlova 
(Australian meringue with whipped cream and fruit)

Pita 
(Mediterranean pocket bread)

Snickerdoodles 
(American cinnamon-scented sugar cookies)

Bichak 
(Afghan stuffed savory and sweet pastries)

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

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

Lekach 
(Israeli Jewish honey cake)

Peach Cobbler 
(American peaches baked with pastry)

Cornbread 
(American cornmeal bread)

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

Tah Chin 
(Persian layered rice and chicken dish)

Bauernbrot 
(German farmer-style rye bread)

Apfelstrudel 
(Austrian apple strudel pastry)

Lavash 
(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

Pão de Queijo 
(Brazilian cheese buns)

Strawberry Shortcake 
(American strawberries with a sweet biscuit)

Apple Cake 
(American tender cake with apples)

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

Cherniy Hleb 
(Russian black bread)

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

Coca-Cola Cake 
(American cocoa-cola cake)

Bibingka Especial 
(Filipino sweet coconut and rice flour cake)

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

Broa de Milho 
(Portuguese yeast-leavened cornbread)

Lefse 
(Norwegian potato flatbread)

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Empanadas 
(Latin savory stuffed pastries)

Malva Pudding 
(South African apricot-flavored baked pudding)

Banana Bread 
(Caribbean sweet quickbread)

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)

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

Socca Niçoise au Four 
(French Provencal chickpea bread)

Panforte 
(Italian Christmas honey fruitcake)

Pizza Napoletana 
(Italian traditional pizza from Naples)

Makový Koláč 
(Czech poppy seed torte)

Pie Crust 
(American dessert pastry crust)

Yemarina Yewotet Dabo 
(Ethiopian spiced honey bread)

Pflaumenkuchen 
(German plum tart)

Papaya Pie 
(Caribbean papaya-filled tart)

Whats4eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.