Like a lot else in life, cooking is a learning process. It helps to have good teachers. You can find them in lots of places: among your family and friends, in books and schools, on-line (like this site – hint, hint) or on TV. But I’m convinced that the most important part of learning is the willingness to experiment, to fail, and to try again.
This has nothing to do with parchment paper, but now that I’ve got you smiling, you’re in the right mood to cook and bake.
Generally I learn more from difficulties, disasters or problems than from the recipes, dishes, and meals that go smoothly. Occasionally I have a “Eureka” moment. At such times, I feel as though I am practically having a religious revelation. More frequently though, the lesson slowly dawns on me, a gradual realization that a change in the way I cook improves a process or result.
Using parchment paper for baking instead of greasing or oiling the baking sheet or pan was one of those rare Eureka moments. I had been greasing baking sheets and pans for years. I’ve always enjoyed baking, but hated the cleaning part at the end. (I have tried non-stick bake-ware, but find it less than satisfactory. It changes cooking times and scratches off when you clean it – unless you are unbelievably careful – which I am not.) One day I realized that baking recipes sometimes mention parchment paper. I wish I had known this tip years ago; I would have saved myself hours of scrubbing off bake-ware and avoided the frustration of trying to pry stuck cookies/cakes off baking sheets/pans.
Parchment paper comes in rolls, like waxed paper or aluminum foil. You can buy unbleached (brown) or bleached (white) paper; I have not found a difference in how they work.
I always have parchment paper on hand now. I buy it on sale, and it is not expensive when you amortize the cost over all the cookies and cakes you can make and the baking sheets and pans you no longer have to scrub.
Cut the paper to fit the baking/cookie sheet or the bottom of the cake pan. It is OK if a small amount hangs over the edge of a baking/cookie sheet, but too much paper hanging over is a hazard.
I keep a good set of scissors in my kitchen for just such tasks.
For a cake pan, if the recipe calls for greasing the bottom and sides of the pan and you are substituting parchment paper, you will want to cut a length of paper to put around the sides.
Hint – Don’t substitute waxed paper on baking/cookie sheets. I have used waxed paper instead of parchment to line the bottom of cake pans, where no part of the paper is exposed to air and heat during baking.
You do not need to put any grease or oil on the parchment paper. Cookies will slide off the paper if you pick them up with a spatula and a cake will come out of the pan easily. Parchment paper can be used for several batches of the same recipe being baked on the same cookie/baking sheet in a few batches. However, once you are done with the recipe, parchment paper must be thrown away. It cannot be cleaned and re-used.
If you use parchment on the bottom of a cake pan with a flat bottom, it will probably come out with the cake as you turn the cake over on a cooling sheet. Then you just peel it off what is now the top of the cake.
You will still need to clean the cookie sheet or cake pan when you use parchment paper. However, you’ll find that the cleaning is a snap compared to what it would have been if you had greased the cookie sheet or pan and put the dough or batter directly on it. There’s no satisfaction like enjoying cookies right out of the oven or a fresh cake, without having to pry burnt-on dough off the baking sheet or pan. Take it from one who has done more than her fair share of scrubbing.
MOD says
Just cooked banana bread for an hour, took it out, after a couple of minutes shook the tin onto the rack and the cake is in pieces. From now on, it’s parchment paper ALWAYS!!!
motherwouldknow says
I’m so sorry you had one of "those days" 🙁 Hope parchment paper saves you from a similar fate the next time you bake banana bread.
Mrs Valantine says
Life saver indeed.
I ddnt know about parchment, I will always have it, since i had a problem of stuckings in pans when baking.
Thanks darlings!!!
Kisses kisses kisses
Laura says
Mrs. Valantine, I do hope it saves you from having to scrape off all that burned stuff on baking pans. It is a huge help to me in so many recipes.
Baker says
Ready for a new revelation? You can buy parchment paper pre-cut (and flat, not rolled). It’s really inexpensive and much easier than using the rolls.
Laura says
Baker, You’re right about pre-cut paper being convenient. I buy it even though it’s a bit more expensive than rolled.
Ella Van Tassel says
Sometimes I have found the Precut in Dollar Tree never seen Precut Parchment Paper before. I sure wish I bought more then 1 box, I always look. Today I bought 2 regular rolls for my baking and for cooking Bacon in the ove. Easy peasy clean up.
Laura says
Ella, Like you I do love all kinds of parchment. I buy my pre-cut parchment online, either from King Arthur on sale or from other sources through Amazon. Also like you, I don’t find it in local stores.
Jaime says
I’ve been making NYS cheesecake for my beginning home business… and I’ve found it quite difficult to remove the cheesecake after cooling in the fridge from a springform pan to a box… do you think parchment paper will work? And if yes how do I go about incorporating it to the springform pan?
Laura says
I’ve never tried parchment with a springform, but it should work. Cut out the bottom round or use a pre-cut round of parchment, then put a ring around the side.
Laura says
Jaime, You can use parchment in a springform by cutting a parchment circle and then using a strip of parchment for the sides.
Vanessa says
I love using parchment paper. Our Dollar Tree has it and I buy it often just to be sure I have it on hand and do not run out. It’s a lot more expensive if you buy it at the grocery store.
Laura says
Glad to find another parchment lover. I buy mine at Costco – inexpensive and great quality.
Andrea Armstrong says
Do you think if you use water to hold the parchment on a cookie sheet while placing cookies down before baking….that the water will effect how the cookies bake? Just wondering why my gingerbread cookies came out with darker patches on the bottom center of the cookie…or do I blame the pans…??
Laura says
I’ve never tried using water (underneath?) to hold down parchment. It might affect the baking if it wet the parchment. In any event, I typically find that if i use pre-cut parchment sheets that fit the pan, the parchment doesn’t move when I put cookies on it to bake.
fiona liu says
The role of baking paper and baking mat The tool I often use and highly recommend is baking paper. However, I don’t like rolled baking paper because it is easy to roll up and it is inconvenient to cut. I prefer to use cut-out baking paper, which can be found everywhere nowadays and can be bought in bakery stores (or buy some from your favorite bakery). If it is used at home baking pans, a piece of baking paper can be cut into two pieces for use (home baking pans are usually half the size of professional baking pans).
Laura says
I use both pre-cut and rolled baking (Parchment) paper – each for a different purpose. The pre-cut works well in my half sheet and round 8′ and 9′ baking pans. Rolled is for using to roll out dough on the counter or other jobs where I don’t need it to lay flat.
VIRGINIA DUROCHER says
Can I use parchment paper to cook french fries (McCain Superfries) and fish fillets (High Liner) –
Laura says
Parchment paper is fine anytime a recipe specifies using a greased pan (no need to grease parchment and it keeps the pan cleaner), but you may not get as crispy an exterior as you would with a greased pan. Hope that helps.
Kira says
To prevent rolling up, I press two sheets of rolled parchment between two cookie sheets. They hold everything in place while I trim the sides, and if I store my cookie sheets with the paper still between, they come out “stamped” in the perfect flat shape for use!! Best Hack Ever! (We go through a LOT of bacon in my house!)
Laura says
What a great tip! I should try that instead of buying the more expensive pre-cut sheets:)