'baking' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'bacan', where the root meant 'to cook by dry heat (to roast, to bake)'.

'baking' changed from Old English 'bacan' to Middle English 'baken'/'bake', and eventually became the Modern English gerund/nominal form 'baking'.

Initially, it meant 'to dry or cook by heat' and over time evolved into the current meanings related specifically to cooking food by dry heat (especially in an oven) and to the resulting baked goods.