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

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

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

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

Torta Rustica di Mele 
(Italian rustic apple cake)

Barmbrack 
(Irish fruit bread)

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

Koulourakia 
(Greek Easter butter cookies)

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)

Kulich 
(Eastern Orthodox sweet Easter bread)

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

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Pão de Queijo 
(Brazilian cheese buns)

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

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

Bibingka Especial 
(Filipino sweet coconut and rice flour cake)

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

Panforte 
(Italian Christmas honey fruitcake)

Baking Powder Biscuits 
(American breakfast quickbread)

Peach Cobbler 
(American peaches baked with pastry)

Lokshen Kugel 
(Israeli Jewish sweet noodle pudding)

Cornbread 
(American cornmeal bread)

Apple Cake 
(American tender cake with apples)

Torta Maria Luisa 
(Latin marmalade-filled layer cake)

Makový Koláč 
(Czech poppy seed torte)

Torta de Plátano 
(Colombian plantain bread)

Lavash 
(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

Bauernbrot 
(German farmer-style rye bread)

Tah Chin 
(Persian layered rice and chicken dish)

Naan 
(Indian, Pakistani tandoor-baked bread)

Broa de Milho 
(Portuguese yeast-leavened cornbread)

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

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)

Empanadas 
(Latin savory stuffed pastries)

Hamantaschen 
(Israeli Jewish filled tricorner Purim pastries)

Baklava 
(Eastern Mediterranean nut and phyllo sweet pastry)

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

Socca Niçoise au Four 
(French Provencal chickpea bread)

Banana Bread 
(Caribbean sweet quickbread)

Clafoutis 
(French cherry flan)

Scones 
(Scottish quick teacakes)

Lefse 
(Norwegian potato flatbread)

Gingerbread Men 
(English spiced Christmas cookies)

Coca-Cola Cake 
(American cocoa-cola cake)

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

Pita 
(Mediterranean pocket bread)

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