Baking cooks foods in ovens surrounded by dry heat, with the oven temperature varied to suit the food, from gentle heat for custards and meringues to fierce heat for breads and pizzas. The method drives crust formation, crumb setting, Maillard browning, starch gelatinization, and moisture loss simultaneously, transforming raw doughs and batters into structured foods. Mastering baking means controlling heat transfer, humidity, and time so that everything from delicate sponge to hearty loaf emerges evenly cooked. It is also a food-safety step: adequate internal temperatures destroy pathogens in raw flour, eggs, and batters that would otherwise pose risks.