What cooking methods are involved in baking?

Baking primarily utilizes the principles of convection and conduction to cook food evenly. Convection involves the movement of hot air around the food, allowing it to cook uniformly, which is fundamental in an oven where warm air circulates. Conduction refers to the direct transfer of heat from the oven walls and cookware to the food itself, ensuring that items such as bread, cakes, and pastries gain the necessary heat from the surfaces they are in contact with.

The other options reflect cooking methods that do not align with the fundamental processes of baking. Boiling and steaming are methods that use water or steam as a medium for cooking, while grilling, frying, broiling, and sautéing incorporate direct heat or oil, which are not part of the baking process. Such methods can alter the texture and flavor differently than baking, which focuses on dry heat to achieve the specific qualities unique to baked goods.