Silicone Baking Mats?
I have been using more parchment lately, and I have begun to think about using silicone mats as a way to save on costs and help the environment. I have some recipes that call for pouring oil on the work surface, but my spouse objects to pouring oil on our granite counter, no matter how well it is sealed. I thought that pouring the oil onto a silicone mat would keep the oil off the counter.
My concern about baking on silicone mats is that their upper temperature limits are close to the same range as some bread baking oven temps. I make breads with instructions to preheat at 500 F (260 C) and bake at 425 F (219 C). I worry about the silicone melting, chemicals leaching into the bread, etc.
My concern about pouring oil on the mat is leakage. Are they porous? Do they tend to leak through micro-cracks?
We have two silicone mats here. They are still new. One is a Sil-Eco, and the other is Cook Works brand from China, and is no longer sold. No information is available. We also have a very worn baking mat that was given to me in the early 1980s. It is dark brown, paper thin, and crackly from use and age. It feels like teflon, not silicone. We have not tried any of the three mats, at least not yet.
-> Can someone identify that very thin dark brown "teflon-like" mat that my uncle gave me?
-> What are your experiences regarding mats for bread making? Are they a good idea or a bad idea? Should I continue using parchment?
Hi. I don't bake bread on my silicone mats, only occasional sticky cookies. Instead, I use Regency brand reusable cookie sheet liners like these. I find them absolutely great under hearth breads on a peel and I have cut them into narrower strips to use when I am lowering a loaf into a Dutch oven. Highly recommended.
Jeremy
of old silicone mats or parchment, I find the paper baking parchment more eco friendly. I just wad it up and toss the old parchment into my wood stove. No wasting of precious water, vinegar or soda trying to clean it. The old silicone mat has to be washed and eventually go into special recycle. Think about where it goes when you throw it away. :)
I use silicone mats routinely, mainly as liners for 1/2 sheet pans, and often bake at 450F.
They're not porous and don't leak. I have never melted one. I did char one a bit once by putting it under a broiler, so don't do that, but even then it didn't melt. I clean them in the dishwasher.
I am not sure why you want to pour oil on one but it wouldn't hurt it. For most baking I find the nonstick properties hold up well, though if I am doing something like almond macaroons I'll rub a little butter on the thing first.
Why Pour Oil on a Silicone Mat?
I found comments or recipes in a book that called for pouring oil on the work surface to keep wet dough from sticking. I think the idea is to avoid adding flour while still allowing you to handle and shape the dough. My spouse does not want me to pour oil directly on our granite counter, out of fear that the oil may get through the surface sealant and stain the granite permanently. It is a concern, but I don't think it is very likely to happen. I did not want to argue. It was one of those "pick your fights" moments, and a silicone mat seems like an easy solution.
Sorry, but I don't remember which book, but I plan to go through them again (and again). It may have been Peter Reinhart: The Bread Baker's Apprentice, or another of his books, but I am not 100% sure. Right now, I borrowed three library books written by Reinhart, two by Shirley Corriher, and two by Julia Child.
Off topic, but related:
After reading several library books, I ordered my own copies of The Bread Baker's Apprentice and Artisan Breads Every Day to have at home.
Hint: If you want to know which recipes are the "best" or "most popular" in a given bread making book, borrow that book from your public library. The recipes that have food stains on the pages are the most popular. :-o
For that purpose, it might be easier to use a large nylon chopping board and very lightly oil it, but if you have mat on hand by all means give it a try.
The dough will also pick up the oil off the work surface, which you may not want.
If you have a particular recipe and sticking problems you might post that here and ask advice. Sometimes just letting a dough sit for a half hour will make it more coherent and less likely to stick. For others like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbBO4XyL3iM
you just have to get through an initial 5 or 10 minutes of sticky mess, and scraping, before the dough becomes coherent.
Another option is reusable Parchment Paper - like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004RKFR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 I bought some and it worked fine, though I more commonly bake right on the stone these days. It is rated to 550 F, there are other ones available as well, they feel much more like paper than the typical silicone mat.
Hi. Regarding using oil to keep dough from sticking to the countertop...I spray a light mist of water into my counter for this purpose when making my sourdough. I regularly make 80% hydration sourdough. It doesn't leave the bowl until after some gluten has developed. When I want to do my lamination on the counter I will mist a bit of water first. This helps my dough to release easily.
as slings for lifting dough into Dutch ovens or graniteware roasting pans. Cut to shape with scissors with petals along the edge to allow the mat to conform to the shape of the baking vessel. Usually bake at 500°F during the first part. No deterioration at all even after many loaves. "Your mileage may vary." :)