How to Line a Baking Pan with Parchment

Cakes, brownies and bars will always come out of the pan easier if you line them with parchment. This article will show you how to line a baking pan with parchment paper in a way that is easy and accurate. It is simple and straight-forward, and will save you plenty of clean-up and frustration that often comes from sticking batter, dough and sugar.

WHAT IS PARCHMENT PAPER?

Parchment paper (also called "baking paper" or "greaseproof paper") is a type of food safe cellulose-based paper with a silicone coating to create a non-stick, heat-resistant lining that helps prevent sticking of batter, doughs and confectionery to surfaces on baking pans. It also insulates pans which helps prevent excessive browning.

WHY USE PARCHMENT PAPER?

There are many great reasons for using parchment paper. I almost never bake without it. Parchment helps insulate pans just gently so that it prevents crust formation on cakes, cupcakes and muffins and will help reduce excess spread of cookie dough. It eliminates the need to grease pans which typically creates more browning (Maillard browning) reactions that create thick dark brown crusts around cakes. This crust can detract from the delicate crumb and is sometimes not desirable.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARCHMENT PAPER AND WAXED PAPER?

Parchment paper is not to be confused with waxed paper which is coated with wax, not silicone. The main difference is that waxed paper is not heat-resistant and cannot withstand typical baking temperatures. Waxed paper is most commonly used for cold food preparation, such as wrapping sandwiches or caramel candies. Using parchment paper in baking eliminates the need for greasing pans and allows for easy clean-up.

WHERE TO BUY PARCHMENT PAPER?

You can find parchment paper in almost every supermarket. You can also find it online, and you can even find pre-cut rounds and rectangles. Most people purchase rolls which are easy to store and more versatile.

HOW TO LINE A BAKING PAN WITH PARCHMENT PAPER

STEP 1). For an 8x8-inch square baking pan, cut a large square of parchment that is 10x10 inches. Place the pan over the parchment square so that it is center. You should have a 2 inch border all the way around.
STEP 2). Cut the paper near the corners. Use scissors to make a cut on either side of the pan at each of the 4 corners. Cut from the edge of the paper in toward the corner of the pan. You should have 4 cuts: 2 on each side.
STEP 3). Tuck the parchment paper into the pan and the corners should fold nicely inwards so the parchment is flush on all sides.
STEP 4). Use metal binder clips (they're oven-safe) to clip the paper down to the sides of the pan so it doesn't move around when you spread out the batter.