The Food Technology Web Site

Definition

Baking is the cooking of food by dry heat in an oven in which the action of the dry convection heat is modified by steam.

Methods

Three methods of baking can be identified.

• Dry baking: when baking, steam rises from the water content of the food; this steam combines with the dry heat of the oven to cook the food, e.g. cakes, pastry, baked jacket potatoes.

• Increased humidity baking: when baking certain foods, e.g. bread, the oven humidity is increased by placing a bowl of water or injection steam into the oven, thus increasing the water content of the food and so improving the eating quality.

• Bain marie: when baking, place food in a container of water (bain marie) which modifies the heat so that the food cooks more slowly, does not overheat or overcook.

   

  Advantages

  • A wide range of savoury and sweet foods can be produced

  • Bakery products yield appetising goods with eye-appeal and mouth-watering aromas

  • Bulk cooking can be achieved with uniformity of colour and degree of cooking

  • Baking ovens have effective manual or automatic controls

  • There is straightforward access for loading and removal of items

   

  Disadvantages

  • Requires regular attention

  • Ovens are expensive to heat

   

  Examples of foods which you might choose to cook by baking

  Eggs, e.g. in cocottes Meat, e.g. steak and kidney pie, cornish pasties Chicken, e.g. vol au vent Vegetables, e.g. potatoes

  Apples Fruit flans Baked egg custard Cakes Bread

   

  Return to Cookery Processes

   

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  Web site created by Media Matters Education Consultancy.

  Summarised and reproduced with permission from Hodder & Stoughton

  Full text available in Practical Cookery by Cesarani, Kinton & Foskett.