# Baking - Wikipedia By [john0w3](https://paragraph.com/@john0w3) · 2021-10-29 --- All types of food can be baked, but some require special care and protection from direct heat. Various techniques have been developed to provide this protection. In addition to bread, baking is used to prepare [cakes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cake), [pastries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastry), [pies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pie), [tarts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tart), [quiches](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiche), [cookies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookie), [scones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scone), [crackers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_\(food\)), [pretzels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretzel), and more. These popular items are known collectively as "baked goods," and are often sold at a [bakery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakery), which is a store that carries only baked goods, or at markets, grocery stores, farmers markets or through other venues. Meat, including [cured](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curing_\(food_preservation\)) meats, such as [ham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham) can also be baked, but baking is usually reserved for [meatloaf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meatloaf), smaller cuts of whole meats, or whole meats that contain [stuffing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuffing) or coating such as [bread crumbs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_crumbs) or [buttermilk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermilk) [batter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batter_\(cooking\)). Some foods are surrounded with moisture during baking by placing a small amount of liquid (such as [water](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water) or [broth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broth)) in the bottom of a closed pan, and letting it steam up around the food. [Roasting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roasting) is a term synonymous with baking, but traditionally denotes the cooking of whole animals or major cuts through exposure to dry heat; for instance, one bakes chicken parts but roasts the whole bird. One can bake pork or lamb chops but roasts the whole loin or leg. There are many exceptions to this rule of the two terms. Baking and roasting otherwise involve the same range of cooking times and temperatures. Another form of baking is the method known as _en croûte_ (French for "in a pastry crust"), which protects the food from direct heat and seals the natural juices inside. Meat, [poultry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry), [game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_\(food\)), fish or [vegetables](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable) can be prepared by baking _en croûte_. Well-known examples include [Beef Wellington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_Wellington), where the beef is encased in [pastry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastry) before baking; [pâté en croûte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A2t%C3%A9), where the [terrine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrine_\(food\)) is encased in pastry before baking; and the Vietnamese variant, a meat-filled pastry called [pâté chaud](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A2t%C3%A9_chaud). The _en croûte_ method also allows meat to be baked by burying it in the embers of a fire – a favorite method of cooking [venison](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venison). Salt can also be used to make a protective crust that is not eaten. Another method of protecting food from the heat while it is baking is to cook it [_en papillote_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En_papillote) (French for "in parchment"). In this method, the food is covered by [baking paper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parchment_paper_\(baking\)) (or [aluminium foil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_foil)) to protect it while it is being baked. The cooked parcel of food is sometimes served unopened, allowing diners to discover the contents for themselves which adds an element of surprise. A [terracotta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta) [baking mould](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_mould) for [pastry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastry) or [bread](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread), representing goats and a lion attacking a cow. Early 2nd millennium BC, Royal palace at [Mari, Syria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari,_Syria) [Eggs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_\(food\)) can also be used in baking to produce savoury or sweet dishes. In combination with [dairy products](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dairy_products) especially [cheese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese), they are often prepared as a [dessert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dessert). For example, although a baked [custard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custard) can be made using starch (in the form of [flour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flour), [cornflour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_starch), [arrowroot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrowroot), or [potato flour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_flour)), the flavor of the dish is much more delicate if eggs are used as the thickening agent. Baked custards, such as [crème caramel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A8me_caramel), are among the items that need protection from an oven's direct heat, and the [_bain-marie_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bain-marie) method serves this purpose. The cooking container is half submerged in water in another, larger one, so that the heat in the oven is more gently applied during the baking process. Baking a successful [soufflé](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souffl%C3%A9) requires that the baking process be carefully controlled. The oven temperature must be absolutely even and the oven space not shared with another dish. These factors, along with the theatrical effect of an air-filled dessert, have given this baked food a reputation for being a culinary achievement. Similarly, a good baking technique (and a good oven) are also needed to create a [baked Alaska](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baked_Alaska) because of the difficulty of baking hot [meringue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meringue) and cold [ice cream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream) at the same time. Baking can also be used to prepare other foods such as [pizzas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzas), [baked potatoes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baked_potato), baked apples, [baked beans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baked_beans), some [casseroles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casserole) and [pasta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasta) dishes such as [lasagne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasagne). --- *Originally published on [john0w3](https://paragraph.com/@john0w3/baking-wikipedia)*