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

Clafoutis 
(French cherry flan)

Cornbread 
(American cornmeal bread)

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

Tarte Tatin 
(French caramelized apple tart)

Hamantaschen 
(Israeli Jewish filled tricorner Purim pastries)

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)

Lefse 
(Norwegian potato flatbread)

Quesadilla Salvadoreña 
(Salvadoran sweet cheese poundcake)

Papaya Pie 
(Caribbean papaya-filled tart)

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

Scones 
(Scottish quick teacakes)

Coca-Cola Cake 
(American cocoa-cola cake)

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Malva Pudding 
(South African apricot-flavored baked pudding)

Torta Maria Luisa 
(Latin marmalade-filled layer cake)

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

Peach Cobbler 
(American peaches baked with pastry)

Apfelstrudel 
(Austrian apple strudel pastry)

Cherniy Hleb 
(Russian black bread)

Makroud el Louse 
(Makroud el Louse)

Pita 
(Mediterranean pocket bread)

Snickerdoodles 
(American cinnamon-scented sugar cookies)

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

Apple Pie 
(American apple tart)

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

Yemarina Yewotet Dabo 
(Ethiopian spiced honey bread)

Socca Niçoise au Four 
(French Provencal chickpea bread)

Barmbrack 
(Irish fruit bread)

Koulourakia 
(Greek Easter butter cookies)

Pie Crust 
(American dessert pastry crust)

Semita de Piña 
(Salvadoran jam-filled pastry)

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

Pizza Napoletana 
(Italian traditional pizza from Naples)

Naan 
(Indian, Pakistani tandoor-baked bread)

Bichak 
(Afghan stuffed savory and sweet pastries)

Broa de Milho 
(Portuguese yeast-leavened cornbread)

Apple Cake 
(American tender cake with apples)

Gingerbread Men 
(English spiced Christmas cookies)

Torta di Mele 
(Italian apple torte)

Pavlova 
(Australian meringue with whipped cream and fruit)

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)

Kulich 
(Eastern Orthodox sweet Easter bread)

Pão de Queijo 
(Brazilian cheese buns)

Torta de Plátano 
(Colombian plantain bread)

Lavash 
(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

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