Parchment paper, also known as baking paper, is a

cellulose Cellulose is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of glycosidic bond, β(1→4) linked glucose, D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important s ...

-based paper whose material has been processed so as to obtain additional properties such as non-stickiness, grease resistance, resistance to humidity and heat resistance. It is commonly used in

baking Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but it can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot Baking stone, stones. Bread is the most commonly baked item, but many other types of food can also be baked. Heat is ...

and cooking as a disposable non-stick paper. It is greaseproof paper that can be used for several different applications, its surface prevents the food from sticking, and also is highly heat-resistant with some brands capable of temperatures up to . It should not be confused with waxed paper, which is paper that has been coated with wax.

Manufacturing

To get its non-stick properties, baking paper is either treated with a “quilon" (a solution of chromium(iii) in an acidic alcohol to modify the cellulose) or cellulose coated with

silicone In Organosilicon chemistry, organosilicon and polymer chemistry, a silicone or polysiloxane is a polymer composed of repeating units of siloxane (, where R = Organyl group, organic group). They are typically colorless oils or elastomer, rubber ...

Applications in cooking and baking

A common use is to eliminate the need to grease

sheet pan A sheet pan, also referred to as baking tray, baking sheet, or baking pan, is a flat, rectangular metal pan placed in an oven and used for baking pastry, pastries such as bread rolls, cookies, sheet cakes, Swiss rolls, and pizzas. These pans, li ...

s, allowing very rapid turnaround of batches of baked goods with minimal cleanup. Parchment paper is also used to cook '' en papillote'', a technique where food is

steamed Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American Southwest, steam pits used for cooking ha ...

or cooked within closed pouches made from parchment paper. Parchment paper can be used in most applications that call for wax paper as a non-stick surface. The reverse is not true, as using wax paper would cause smoke in the oven and would adversely affect flavor.

Other bakery release papers

The non-stick properties can be also achieved by employing a

coated paper Coated paper (also known as enamel paper, gloss paper, and thin paper) is paper that has been coated with a mixture of materials or a polymer to impart certain qualities to the paper, including weight, surface gloss, smoothness, or reduced ink ab ...

, onto which a suitable release agent—a coating with a low surface energy and the capability to withstand the temperatures involved in the

roasting Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizat ...

process—is deposited;

(cured with a suitable

catalyst Catalysis () is the increase in rate of a chemical reaction due to an added substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed by the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycles quick ...

) is frequently used.

Other applications

Parchment paper also has relevant properties for other industries. In the textile tube industry, an outer layer of parchment confers the necessary resistance to abrasion, heat and oil. In other industries, parchment is used as a processing aid due to its release properties, whether for furniture laminate manufacturing and rubber vulcanization. In creative forms such as

origami ) is the Japanese art of paper folding. In modern usage, the word "origami" is often used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a ...

thin uncoated parchment paper is often used for tessellations and complex models.

Disposal

Parchment paper is composed of cellulosic fibers and therefore is considered compostable both in an industrial setting (EN13432) and at home.

References