Parchment Paper or a Silicone Baking Mat?

Use parchment when you need a liner you can cut to fit or lift out of a pan. If you bake cookies regularly on the same flat tray, an oven-safe silicone mat that fits the tray can be washed and reused. When the recipe calls for a specific surface, use it for the first batch.

Which liner works for cookies?

Both can work. In a side-by-side test by King Arthur Baking, changing the liner changed how much the cookies spread. For your own dough, bake equal-sized cookies one at a time on the same tray at the same oven setting. Try it with this chocolate chip cookie recipe.

How do you make a loaf-pan sling?

Cut the parchment just narrow enough to fit between the short ends. Run it across the bottom and up both long sides, leaving short tabs to grip. Grease the exposed ends as directed in your recipe. Once the loaf cake has cooled enough to remove, lift it by both tabs together.

When is a silicone mat more convenient?

If the mat lies flat inside the rim of a tray you use often, you can skip cutting a liner. Let it cool and clean it as the maker directs. Check the packaging for oven and temperature limits for either liner.

How large should I cut the parchment?

On a flat tray, cut it to fit the base. In a loaf pan, leave just enough at the sides to grip and keep the paper clear of oven walls and heating elements.

Sources

• King Arthur Baking’s cookie liner test
• King Arthur Baking’s parchment sling guide
• Manufacturer’s parchment directions