What culinary term describes cooking with indirect heat in an oven?

Baking is the correct term for cooking with indirect heat in an oven because it utilizes the surrounding heat to cook food evenly from all sides. This method is commonly used for a variety of dishes, including bread, pastries, and casseroles, where maintaining a consistent temperature is crucial for proper cooking and achieving the desired texture.

The other methods mentioned involve more direct forms of cooking. Grilling typically refers to cooking food over direct heat from below, while steaming uses water vapor to cook food, which is a different technique altogether. Sautéing involves cooking food quickly in a small amount of fat over direct heat, resulting in a different outcome than that achieved through baking. Understanding these distinctions is essential for culinary arts, as each method has its own applications and results in different textures and flavors in food.