Cooking and baking are both common activities in the kitchen. Some people may even use these terms interchangeably. While it’s true that both processes can result in tasty food, there are a few key differences between cooking and baking. Read on to learn four ways they’re different from one another.
WHAT IS COOKING?
Cooking is the process of preparing food by mixing and heating ingredients to change their chemical composition. It can take place in many places, such as on a cooktop by sautéing, or in an oven by baking, roasting or broiling.
WHAT IS BAKING?
Baking is a specific type of cooking that circulates a dry heat—usually in an oven—to chemically transform food. Baking also physically transforms food by changing its color, size and texture.
WHAT’S THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COOKING AND BAKING?
While the cooking definition is broadly explained as combining ingredients and heating them, the baking definition is much more specific; only using dry heat with precisely measured ingredients. That means that all baking is considered cooking, but not all cooking is considered baking.
OTHER WAYS COOKING AND BAKING ARE DIFFERENT
Below are four key differences between cooking and baking.
1. HEATING METHOD
Baking is usually only done in an oven since it requires consistent dry heat.Cooking can also take place in the oven, however, there are a variety of oven settings and heating elements that can be used for different outcomes. Since ovens can be used in both baking and cooking, it’s important to get familiar with the different parts of an oven and how they can affect your food’s final result.
2. EQUIPMENT
Cooking utilizes tools like knives, pots, pans, and various heat sources like a grill, stove or oven. Baking essentials are different and can include items such as measuring cups, whisks and stand or hand mixers, with an oven being the heat source.
3. PRECISION WITH MEASUREMENTS
Baking requires precision and accuracy when measuring out ingredients; you need exact amounts of each ingredient to get the desired results. Cooking, on the other hand, is often much more flexible as you can frequently taste as you go and adjust recipes to your liking.
4. INGREDIENT INTERACTIONS
There’s a reason people refer to baking as a science. If you know how ingredients work on a scientific level, then you’ll likely know when to add flour to provide more structure or eggs to act as a leavening agent. Cooking tends to be more flexible, often allowing you to tweak the recipe to your preference without worrying that these little adjustments will necessarily ruin the overall outcome.
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IS BAKING HARDER THAN COOKING?
Baking isn’t necessarily harder than cooking. It really comes down to your preferences in the kitchen. If you enjoy precision and consistency, then you may find baking to be easier for you. But if you enjoy flexibility and creative freedom in your dishes, you might find that cooking comes more naturally to you.
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