baking

[ bey-king ]

noun

1. the activity or practice of cooking food using dry heat, especially in an oven:

   Baking can give cuts of poultry a crispy, browned exterior.

2. food cooked using dry heat, especially bread, pastry, cakes, etc.:

   Nothing puts me into the Christmas spirit like the smells of holiday baking.

adjective

1. extremely hot:

   It was unseasonably cold last week, but this week it's absolutely baking.

2. used in preparing food cooked with dry heat, especially bread, pastry, cakes, etc.:

   I can't make cookies without a baking tray.

3. suited for use in pies, pastry, etc.: Compare cooking ( def 4 ), eating ( def 4 ).

   Proper baking apples are needed for a good apple crumble.

baking

/ ˈbeɪkɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the process of cooking bread, cakes, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a baking dish

2. the bread, cakes, etc, cooked at one time

adjective

1. (esp of weather) very hot and dry

Word History and Origins

Origin of baking¹

First recorded in 1300–50; 1650–60 baking fordef 3; Middle English; bake ( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses; bake ( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

Divide batter into prepared ramekins, place ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake about 20 minutes.

From The Daily Beast

Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt on parchment or wax paper.

From The Daily Beast

Cover crust with parchment paper and pour in baking beans or weights.

From The Daily Beast

The tradition of baking of Stollen is probably the strongest in Dresden, Germany.

From The Daily Beast

Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.

From The Daily Beast

The poorest people reduce it to powder by manual labour, in the same way as they grind corn preparatory to baking it into cakes.

From Project Gutenberg

After we had witnessed the process of sugar-baking, we entered the boats, and proceeded up the stream.

From Project Gutenberg

Cash then took down the little square baking pan, greased from the last baking of bread, and in that he fried his hot cakes.

From Project Gutenberg

White Fawn, their mother, was baking corn bread on the coals of the wigwam fire.

From Project Gutenberg

Picking up a can of baking-powder, he read the recipes printed thereon, but without finding just what he wanted.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blistering
• boiling
• red-hot
• scorching
• searing
• sizzling
• sweltering