What is the difference between braising and baking?

Braising is a cooking method that involves slow-cooking food in a small amount of liquid, typically in a covered pot, allowing flavors to meld and the meat to become tender. It usually combines both dry and moist heat, starting with searing the food at a high temperature before adding liquid and cooking it slowly. In contrast, baking is a dry heat cooking method that involves cooking food evenly in an oven, often without added liquid, and is commonly used for bread, pastries, and casseroles. While both methods can produce tender dishes, braising focuses on moist heat, whereas baking relies solely on dry heat.