Definition:
To put it simply, baking is fully cooking food in an oven. Just about anything can be baked, including breads, desserts, fish, poultry, meat and vegetables.
The key to proper baking really comes down to the proper ratio between the oven temperature and the baking time, which can be determined by the size or weight of the dish. In brief, the larger and more dense the item, the longer it will take to cook, and the smaller and less dense, the less time. Something dense like a cheesecake, for example, will bake a high temperature initially for a short amount of time and then bake slowly at a low temperature to ensure even cooking throughout. A fillet of fish, however, cooks very quickly and is baked at medium-heat for a short duration.
