The Power of Roasting and Baking

While both roasting and baking involve cooking food in a hot oven, understanding their distinct purposes can level up your culinary skills.

Roasting is often used for larger pieces of meat and hearty vegetables. The higher temperatures (above 400°F) used in roasting lead to caramelization and the Maillard reaction, responsible for the rich, complex flavors in browned food.

Baking, in contrast, typically occurs at lower temperatures (below 375°F), making it ideal for most types of pastries, bread, cakes, and cookies. Baking requires more precise temperature control to ensure that the inside cooks evenly without the outside becoming too browned or burnt.

Mastering the balance between time and temperature is the key to perfect baking.