bakery product

Baking is a cooking method that uses dry heat, typically in an oven. It is one of the oldest ways to prepare food. Bakery products, such as bread, cookies, pies, pastries, and muffins, are primarily made from grain-based flour.1

Key ingredients in most bakery items include flour, water, and leavening agents. Other ingredients like eggs, milk, salt, shortening, and sugar are used to modify texture, flavor, and appearance. Eggs, for instance, contribute to color, flavor, and texture, with yolks adding fat and whites providing structure through foams.2

Historically, baking evolved from parching grains to cooking them with water to form gruel. Primitive flatbreads were made by baking gruel on hot stones. The development of ovens and the understanding of fermentation led to leavened bread. Wheat flour eventually became preferred for its fermentation properties. Ancient Egyptians are credited with the intentional use of leavening and developed early ovens.34