List of baked goods facts for kids

Delicious Breads waiting to be eaten!

Baked goods are yummy foods made from dough or batter. They are cooked using a method called baking. This means they are cooked with dry heat, usually in an oven. Sometimes, people even bake foods in hot ashes or on hot stones! The most famous baked food is bread, but there are many other kinds too.

What Are Baked Goods?

Baked goods are a huge group of foods that are cooked by baking. This cooking method uses dry heat for a long time. Think of how a cake or cookies get golden brown and firm in the oven. That's baking!

Different Kinds of Baked Goods

There are so many different types of baked goods around the world. Let's explore some of the most popular ones!

Biscuits

American and British biscuits are baked goods.

A biscuit is a baked food made mostly from flour. The word "biscuit" means different things depending on where you are!

• In North America (like the USA), a biscuit is a soft, fluffy, savory bread, often eaten with gravy or butter. It's a bit like a scone.
• In the United Kingdom and many other countries, a biscuit is a flat, crispy, sweet treat. It's what Americans would call a "cookie."

Bread

Bread is a very old and important food. It's made from a dough of flour and water, and usually baked. Bread is a "staple food" which means it's a basic food that many people eat every day.

• Bagel: This is a chewy bread product that started in Poland. Bagels are shaped like rings and are first boiled in water, then baked. This gives them their unique texture.
• Bread roll: A small, often round loaf of bread. Rolls are usually served with meals and can be eaten plain or with butter.
• Bun: A small, often sweet, bread or bread roll. Buns come in many shapes, but they are usually hand-sized with a round top.
• Flatbread: This bread is made by rolling dough very thin. Many flatbreads, like tortillas or naan, are made without yeast, which means they don't rise much. Others, like pita bread, rise a little.
• Muffin: A single-serving baked good. American muffins are like small, individual quick breads. They can be sweet, like blueberry muffins, or savory. English muffins are a different type of yeast-leavened bread.

Brownie

A brownie is a flat, square-shaped dessert. It's usually rich and chocolatey. Brownies were first made in the United States in the late 1800s. They became very popular in the U.S. and Canada in the early 1900s.

Cake

A cake is a sweet dessert that is typically baked. In the past, cakes were simpler and more like breads. Today, cakes can be simple or very fancy, with many layers and decorations.

Cookie

A cookie is a small, flat, sweet, baked treat. Cookies usually contain flour, eggs, sugar, and some kind of fat like butter or cooking oil. They are perfect for a snack or dessert!

Cracker

A cracker is a flat, dry, and usually savory baked good. Crackers are often made from flour and can have flavors like salt, herbs, or cheese added to them. They are great with cheese or dips.

Pastry

Pastry refers to a dough made from flour, water, and fat. It can be used for savory dishes or sweetened for desserts. Sweet pastries are often called bakers' confectionery. Think of flaky croissants or sweet tarts!

Pie

A bacon and egg pie

A pie is a baked dish that usually has a pastry crust. The crust can cover the filling or just be the base. Pies can have sweet fillings, like fruit pies, or savory fillings, like meat pies.

Tart

A delicious crostata, which is an Italian tart or pie.

A tart is a baked dish that has a pastry base but an open top. This means the filling is visible and not covered by another layer of pastry. Tarts can be sweet or savory.

Torte

A torte is a sweet dessert that is usually baked. Tortes are a bit different from cakes. While cakes are made with wheat flour, tortes, which come from Central Europe, are often made with ground nuts instead of flour.

Viennoiserie

Viennoiserie are baked goods that are a mix between bread and pastry. They are made from a yeast-leavened dough, like bread, but have extra ingredients like eggs, butter, milk, and sugar. This makes them richer and sweeter, almost like a pastry. Examples include croissants and pain au chocolat.

Baked Goods from Around the World

The nuomici is a Chinese pastry.

Different cultures have their own special baked goods. Here are a few examples:

• Chinese Bakery Products: These include many unique pastries, cakes, and snacks from China. Some are traditional Chinese recipes, while others are inspired by Western baked goods.
• Indian Breads: India has a huge variety of breads, like naan, roti, and chapati, which are often cooked on a griddle or in a tandoor oven.
• Mexican Breads: Mexico is famous for its "pan dulce" (sweet bread), which comes in many colorful and delicious shapes and flavors.

See also