Parchment paper is one of the indispensable kitchen utensils, without which baking may not work at all. The material can be used to cover the surface of the baking sheet and line any molds that you plan to use for baking. Parchment prevents food from sticking to the bottom of the pan during cooking. How to use parchment paper? What is it like and how is it different? You will learn about this from our article.

How to bake on parchment paper?

Parchment paper for baking: how to use?

There are several ways to use baking paper. In addition to the classic lining of the inner surface of the mold, you can use other methods:

1. Cut a square of the required size from the roll. Place the food prepared for baking in the center. Now take the opposite corners in your hands and connect them together using a skewer. Carry out the same actions with the other two corners.
2. Cut a rectangular piece of paper from the roll. In this case, we place the products on one side of the rectangle. The remaining part will be used as a lid. Then the edges of the rectangle must be tightly twisted together.
3. Cut out two circles from paper. On the first we place products. Cover with the second one. Now we fold the sides like a pie and pinch it well.

All options for use are good because they prevent the food from burning and drying out during cooking. You now know how to bake on parchment paper.

What types of baking paper are there?

Manufacturers offer several types of parchment. The simplest option is tracing paper. It is very thin and gets wet easily. It is not recommended to use it for baking biscuits and muffins, the recipe of which includes a lot of butter. Tracing paper will be appropriate for products made from yeast and shortbread dough. It must first be lubricated with oil.

Parchment is considered more durable. This paper is distinguished by a smooth surface and a brownish color due to special impregnation. Sulfuric acid is used as such. It is this that makes parchment more durable and resistant to high temperatures combined with humidity.

It is recommended to use paper for baking products containing a lot of oil.

• Before purchasing, pay attention to the recommendations for use and composition. The manufacturer indicates this on the packaging: there is a disposable one - made of cellulose, and for repeated use - with silicone impregnation.
• If you bought paper intended only for baking, you should not bake vegetables, meat or fish in it. It will get wet, tear, and the product will stick - and you will have to separate it in a plate.
• Thick, reusable baking paper is equally good for baking various dishes and for baking. But this does not mean that after baking fish or meat you can cook cookies, pizza or cakes on it.
• Indispensable when rolling out thin cakes. Some types of shortcrust pastry can only be rolled out between two layers of baking paper.

Which baking paper to choose?

• Thin and fragile Baking paper can be called several different materials. The least durable (and cheapest) is thin tracing paper. Translucent, thin, easily soaked and sticks to biscuit dough products and muffins with a small amount of fat. Another disadvantage of tracing paper is that during prolonged baking it can become brittle and even crumble. It is suitable for yeast and shortbread baked goods, as well as cold confectionery products, such as cheesecakes based on cookie crumbs mixed with butter. It is recommended to lubricate it with fat.
• Dense and durable The next strongest one is ordinary parchment, similar to packaging parchment. This is smooth parchment paper for baking, often brown in color, impregnated with a solution of sulfuric acid and because of this it has become more durable, plastic, resistant to moisture and high temperatures. Does not change its properties depending on temperature and absorbs fat relatively well. Perfect for baking dough products with a large amount of fat. If parchment is used for baking low-fat dough, it must be greased with oil.
• Universal The most popular option is parchment baking paper with a thin silicone coating, which best adheres to finished products, including biscuits, does not allow moisture to pass through, almost does not absorb fat and does not require additional lubrication. It can be used for baking any type of dough, and for everything except biscuits, repeatedly. Meat, poultry and fish dishes are usually baked in it. There is a variety that can withstand temperatures up to 250−300°C and is intended for baking.
• Silicone A separate, expensive option is baking paper with a double-sided silicone coating that forms air chambers and a three-dimensional baking structure. Features a thicker layer of silicone. Typically brown in color and sold in sheets.

How to use baking paper

There are many options for paper envelopes for baking dishes. We offer the most popular - proven practices over the years.

• Place a square of paper on the table and place the food in the center. Lift the two opposite ends, connect, tuck and secure with skewers, and do the same with the remaining two.
• Cut a rectangle, place food on one side, cover the other. Bring the edges together and twist tightly.
• Cut out two circles from baking paper. Place the food on one, cover with a second circle. Bring the edges together and, tucking them in 2-3 times, twist and pinch tightly. This option is good because when served on a plate, the top circle of paper can be easily removed.

How to replace baking paper

There are also paper molds for cupcakes and other dough products: they are usually placed in metal or ceramic molds so that they do not have to be washed, and baked goods at high oven temperatures do not spread, but retain the desired appearance. In addition, small cupcakes and muffins in bright paper wrappers can be served on the table - beautiful and convenient.

• Please note that molds for baking Easter cakes, muffins, shortbread pies and rolls are inexpensive and are sold in the hardware departments of supermarkets. 9 common mistakes when baking.
• In addition to baking in such forms, you can prepare minced fish and meat rolls and casseroles.

Mini pizzas with caramelized onions

Quantity

Time

Ingredients

• 200g ready-made frozen pizza dough
• 100 g mozzarella
• 3 large onions (peeled, cut into thick slices)
• 100 g ketchup or other tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp. l. butter and olive oil
• 1 tbsp. l. Sahara

1. Fry the onion in slices on both sides in a mixture of oils. Pepper, salt, sprinkle with sugar.

2. Cut out 12 circles from the rolled out dough and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Grease the dough with tomato sauce, add a slice of onion and a slice of mozzarella.

3. Preheat the oven to 200°C, bake the pizzas for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Advice: Mini pizzas are good with cheese, capers and olives or with fried bacon and pickled cucumber.

Every housewife must have special baking paper in her kitchen. This simple invention greatly simplifies any process of cooking in the oven, and also allows you to leave the baking sheet clean.

But few people know that there are several types of paper. Each type is intended for a specific action. It would seem that it could be difficult to use baking paper. But in practice it has been proven that there are a lot of important nuances that every housewife should know.

Some interesting facts

Before you go shopping for parchment, here are a few helpful facts to help you make the right choice.

When purchasing, first of all you need to pay attention to the composition of the product. You can read it on the packaging.

There are two main types of paper:

• disposable;
• reusable.

Finding out exactly what kind of baking paper you are holding in your hands is very simple. Disposable parchment is made from a special material called cellulose. Paper that can be used several times is necessarily made with silicone impregnation. The manufacturer must indicate all this on the box.

Pay attention to the purpose of the paper. If you purchased parchment intended solely for baking, you should not cook vegetables, fish or meat in it. For example, the paper may stick to the chicken, leaving small pieces on the food that end up in your mouth.

At the same time, if you purchase thick paper with silicone impregnation, then it can not only be used for baking. But this does not mean at all that immediately after cooking the fish in the oven, you can cook cookies or a pie on this paper. Try to remember which piece you used to cook this or that dish.

Many housewives roll out shortbread dough using baking paper. The dough does not stick to the rolling pin, and the cakes are as smooth and thin as possible.

Making the right choice

There are several types of oven baking paper on the market today. They can all be classified according to the following principle:

• fragile and thin;
• durable and dense;
• universal;
• with a silicone layer.

Let's look at each option in more detail. This will help you decide which type is best for you.

The cheapest and most fragile paper option is regular tracing paper. It's transparent. Due to the fact that tracing paper is very thin, it quickly gets wet and sticks to food. And during prolonged baking, the tracing paper may even crumble into small pieces. It is used only for preparing dishes from yeast dough or for cold baking. Before cooking, it is advisable to lubricate the tracing paper with oil or fat.

Traditional parchment is quite dense and durable. Most often, parchment is produced in brown color. It is impregnated with a special safe solution of sulfuric acid, and therefore is quite durable and elastic. It tolerates moisture well, as well as high temperature.

Parchment also does a good job of absorbing fat. That is why it is more often used to make pies that contain a large amount of fat. If you plan to prepare baked goods from low-fat dough, it is advisable to pre-grease the parchment with oil.

The most common among housewives is parchment with a special silicone layer. It is with its help that you can prepare any dish, since the paper does not stick to food.

Chicken in the oven in baking paper will be very juicy and tasty. This paper can also be used for preparing any confectionery products. It can withstand high temperatures, so you can even bake bread with ease. There is absolutely no need to oil this paper.

The most expensive option is paper with double-sided silicone coating. It can be used for baking any dishes. Of course, you can replace it with a cheaper option, but only such paper has a three-dimensional baking structure. The dish is cooked evenly on all sides. Most often this paper is brown. It is easy to find among the entire range of products. By the way, it is absolutely not necessary to lubricate such paper with oil.

Options for using baking paper

Each housewife has her own methods of using baking paper. Some people simply cover a baking sheet with it, while others wrap food in it. Let's look at the most common uses of baking paper.

• The first option is a square. You need to cut a square out of paper and place all the products in the middle. Next you need to take the edges of the square, pull it up and connect it using skewers.
• The second option is a rectangle. Tear off the required amount of paper. Place the food evenly over the entire area of ​​the paper. Cover the food with a second identical sheet and simply curl the edges tightly.
• The third option is a circle. The most complex option, but more practical than the others. You need to cut out two identical circles from paper. We put all the products on one, and cover everything with the second. The edges must be pinched several times and twisted tightly. When serving the dish, the top circle can be removed very easily. That is why most housewives like it so much.

Alternative to baking paper

Many housewives wonder what can replace baking paper. Sometimes it is inconvenient to prepare a dish using parchment. We have to look for an alternative. Fortunately, there is a replacement - these are special forms made of plain paper.

• For example, you can use multi-colored paper molds to prepare cupcakes in the oven. Typically, they are placed directly into silicone or metal molds. This helps save time on washing dishes as the pans stay clean. In addition, such cupcakes can be served directly in paper forms. They look stylish and decorate the holiday table.

Please note that in special paper forms you have the opportunity to prepare various dishes, and not just sweet pastries, as is commonly believed. These forms can be used to prepare any meat, fish or vegetables.

• You can also replace paper with foil. It allows you to keep food at the same temperature throughout the entire cooking process. In addition, it does not allow the juice to “get out”, and therefore the dishes turn out very tasty.
• Another alternative to paper is a baking sleeve. It appeared on the market quite recently, but is popular among housewives. It is made of special food-grade plastic. The sleeve is tied on both sides using plastic clips or simple plastic ribbons. Products in the sleeve cook much faster, as they are constantly exposed to steam. In addition, they are cooked in their own juice. This makes the dish less caloric, because with this method the housewife does not need to add oil or fat.

In conclusion, I would like to say that you should independently choose the baking paper that suits you. With its help, the cooking process becomes easier and more interesting. The dough does not stick to the pan, food cooks quickly and evenly. These are the main advantages of baking paper.

Modern housewives have a good opportunity to facilitate the cooking process with the help of simple but convenient devices for baking in the oven. When there was still a shortage in stores, we worked on various inventions in the kitchen. So, they managed to bake the chicken on a bottle and in a flour bag. Now you can find it in stores for baking foil, special sleeve, bag or parchment paper. In any case, compared to frying in a pan or baking uncovered, there are many advantages.

Benefits of baking in a sleeve, foil or parchment

Firstly, under the action of the steam that forms inside, meat, fish or chicken are baked in their own juices and do not require the addition of fat, i.e. the dish turns out soft, juicy and more dietary.

Secondly, when baking in the oven in a sleeve or foil, the food retains useful microelements that are destroyed during frying.

Thirdly, the side dish, which can be placed in a sleeve or foil next to the main product, will be perfectly baked and will perfectly absorb the juice from the main dish.

Fourthly, the tightness of such baking allows you to safely add various sauces, marinades, and seasonings, improving and enhancing the taste of the dish. The taste of the meat can be improved by adding red wine or apple juice directly to the sleeve. The chicken can be coated with honey or sprinkled with orange juice. White wine, lemon juice or cream go well with fish.

Fifthly, baking in the oven frees up time and allows the housewife to do other things at this time.

Sixthly, when baking in a sleeve, foil or parchment, fat and juice do not splatter throughout the oven, and this greatly simplifies the hassle of cleaning the kitchen.

Seventh, the food cooks somewhat faster than on a baking sheet. If you bake a large piece of boiled pork without a sleeve, it will take 2 hours, while in a sleeve 1-1.5 hours is enough.

Eighth, when baked in a sleeve or foil, meat, fish or other product does not cook or dry out, but is baked beautifully and evenly, obtaining a golden brown crust.

Ninth, in a sleeve, foil or parchment you can bake either whole or cut into portions, which is very convenient.

So what should you choose to make the prepared dish tasty and at the same time as healthy as possible?

Features when baking in foil, sleeve and parchment

Every housewife definitely needs to know some of the features of each of these kitchen helpers.

Baking foil It is made from thin aluminum, which is an active metal. When combined with air, aluminum is coated with a protective film of oxide, which prevents it from oxidizing. But acid and alkali dissolve this film, resulting in the release of harmful aluminum salts. But the advantage of foil is that an aluminum sheet can withstand temperatures up to 600 ͦ C, so only in foil can you bake delicious potatoes or meat over coals.

How to properly use baking foil

1. When baking in foil, avoid acids and alkalis:

• Do not pour lemon juice or vinegar marinades on meat or fish placed in foil for baking;
• When baking, do not cover the dough into which baking powder has been added.

1. Before putting meat or fish in foil, it must first be greased with sunflower oil, otherwise the food will stick.
2. If you bake a lot and, for example, the meat takes up a whole baking sheet, then it is advisable to simply cover the dish with several layers of foil and tuck the edges so that the liquid does not leak out.
3. It turns out you need to know which side to wrap food in foil. The foil sheet has a shiny and matte side. The shiny side better reflects the heat generated by the oven, so the product should touch the shiny side. In addition, food does not stick to the shiny side. Therefore, you need to spread the foil with the matte side facing the table, the shiny side facing the food, and roll it up into an envelope or cover it with a second layer of foil (the shiny side inward).
4. Under no circumstances should you use foil when baking food in the microwave. When aluminum comes into contact with the walls of the furnace, sparks appear and the furnace may fail.
5. Baking time in foil is shorter than on an open baking sheet.

Sleeve or baking bag one of the most common kitchen helpers. The sleeve is made of heat-resistant film, the material for which is polyethylene phthalate (PTEF). This is high-quality food-grade polyethylene, which does not emit harmful substances when heated and can withstand temperatures up to 220 ° C.

How to use the sleeve correctly

1. First of all, purchase high-quality and certified baking bags or bags.
2. The length of the sleeve should be measured slightly with an allowance for tying on both sides. Although now there are baking bags in which one end is sealed, and only the second needs to be secured. The most convenient way is to simply tie one end of the sleeve, fill the sleeve, and secure the other end with a clothespin.
3. Do not forget that the high temperature causes the sleeve to swell in the oven, and if the sleeve is positioned incorrectly, it will touch the wall and may burst.
4. The sleeve or bag should not be placed on a wire rack, but on a baking sheet or other flat baking dish.
5. When baking in a sleeve, the oven temperature should not exceed 200 ° C.
6. You cannot use the Grill mode.
7. If, when heating a sleeve or bag, an unpleasant, pungent odor appears, the color changes, or the bag begins to break and crumble, it is unsafe to use it.
8. If you want to get a beautiful, appetizing crust, then 10-15 minutes before the end, cut the sleeve with scissors, turn away the edges and bake a little more.
9. To check the readiness of the dish, you need to pierce the meat or fish through the sleeve with a toothpick. If the toothpick passes smoothly and no red juice flows out, then you can turn off the oven.
10. Roasting time in a sleeve depends on the size of the meat, chicken or fish, but on average it is faster than without a sleeve. A piece of boiled pork weighing 2 kg. will need to be baked for about 1.5 hours, chicken - 1 hour, for vegetables 40 minutes is enough, and fish is baked even faster - 30 minutes.

Parchment for baking is loved by those housewives who strive for environmental friendliness when preparing dishes and are afraid to cook in foil or a sleeve. This is also a great option for a kitchen assistant, you just need to choose it correctly.

How to use parchment correctly

1. The paper must have a silicone coating that can withstand high temperatures and does not allow liquid to pass through.
2. Parchment paper comes in brown and white, their quality is the same, it’s just a matter of taste.
3. Parchment is sold in sheets according to the size of the baking sheet, so when baking pies you should simply spread the paper on the baking sheet, and for baking meat, fish, vegetables or poultry, you may need two sheets of paper, which are conveniently fastened with a regular stationery stapler.

So, it’s up to you to choose a sleeve, foil or parchment. In any case, all these helpers make cooking easier and help you prepare tasty, juicy and aromatic dishes.

The skill of cooking in the oven is one of the most important for a healthy diet. A minimum of fat, uniform heating, and the simmering effect make baked dishes much healthier than those cooked in a frying pan or open fire. Autonomy of cooking is also important: the housewife only needs to prepare the ingredients, set the desired temperature and feel free. One of three baking tools can help you achieve perfect dishes: foil, a baking bag, or parchment paper. Let's decide which one is preferable.

The advantage of all three types of baking means is to speed up the cooking process. So, if you need about 2.5-3 hours on an open baking sheet for 2 kg of meat, then meat wrapped in foil will be ready in 1-1.5 hours, wrapped in a bag - in 1.5 hours, placed in parchment - in less than 2 hours.This effect is achieved due to the fact that the walls prevent steam from escaping and increase the temperature in the internal space.

You can bake in foil at the highest temperatures and do this not only in the oven, but also on coals. The best way to bake potatoes is to wrap each potato in foil and place it in hot coals.

Foil can withstand temperatures up to 600 degrees, baking bags (they are made from heat-resistant high-quality polyethylene, which does not emit harmful substances when heated) - up to 220 degrees, parchment (siliconized paper) - up to 200 degrees. Be sure to comply with the temperature requirements: if it is violated, the paper may catch fire and the film may begin to melt.

In addition to the difference in permissible temperatures, the difference between the three specified baking agents will be the following: cooking in foil and a sleeve is more like simmering or stewing. If you do not open the foil until the very end of cooking, the products will be close to what we get in a double boiler. Cooking in parchment paper will make the food crispier, due to the lack of airtightness.

All three methods allow you to cook without using fat or oil, but we recommend greasing a parchment sheet when preparing baked goods or vegetables. This way they won’t burn and will become juicier.

For meat and fish, it is preferable to use a bag or foil; they will prevent the meat juice from leaking out and retain the aroma. It is better to use paper for baking.

When baking in foil, avoid acids and alkalis., so you should not pour lemon juice or vinegar marinades on meat or fish placed for baking - they corrode the foil.

Remember, at high temperatures the bag swells in the oven, therefore, make sure that it is correctly positioned and filled. It should not be placed on a wire rack, but on a baking sheet or other flat baking dish. If you want to get a beautiful, appetizing crust, then 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking, cut the sleeve with scissors, turn away the edges and bake a little more. To check the readiness of the dish, you can pierce the meat or fish through the sleeve with a toothpick. If the toothpick passes smoothly and no red juice flows out, then you can turn off the oven.

Be sure to choose your favorite baking method: in addition to the taste and speed of cooking, a clean oven will be an additional bonus.