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

Pavlova 
(Australian meringue with whipped cream and fruit)

Apple Cake 
(American tender cake with apples)

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

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

Makroud el Louse 
(Makroud el Louse)

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

Baking Powder Biscuits 
(American breakfast quickbread)

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)

Kulich 
(Eastern Orthodox sweet Easter bread)

Lavash 
(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

Pizza Napoletana 
(Italian traditional pizzas from Naples)

Scones 
(Scottish quick teacakes)

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

Coca-Cola Cake 
(American cocoa-cola cake)

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

Baklava 
(Eastern Mediterranean nut and phyllo sweet pastry)

Panforte 
(Italian Christmas honey fruitcake)

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

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

Peach Cobbler 
(American peaches baked with pastry)

Naan 
(Indian, Pakistani tandoor-baked bread)

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

Quesadilla Salvadoreña 
(Salvadoran sweet cheese poundcake)

Lefse 
(Norwegian potato flatbread)

Barmbrack 
(Irish fruit bread)

Apfelstrudel 
(Austrian apple strudel pastry)

Tarte Tatin 
(French caramelized apple tart)

Lokshen Kugel 
(Israeli Jewish sweet noodle pudding)

Challah 
(Israeli Jewish braided Sabbath bread)

Yemarina Yewotet Dabo 
(Ethiopian spiced honey bread)

Lekach 
(Israeli Jewish honey cake)

Semita de Piña 
(Salvadoran jam-filled pastry)

Malva Pudding 
(South African apricot-flavored baked pudding)

Torta di Noci 
(Italian walnut cake)

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Pflaumenkuchen 
(German plum tart)

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)

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

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

Cherniy Hleb 
(Russian black bread)

Torta de Plátano 
(Colombian plantain bread)

Empanadas 
(Latin savory stuffed pastries)

Cornbread 
(American cornmeal bread)

Basboosa 
(Egyptian semolina cake)

Bichak 
(Afghan stuffed savory and sweet pastries)

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