The Parchment Paper Trick That Makes Baking A Breeze To Clean Up

If you're a frequent baker, we know you've already got a stockpile of parchment paper in your arsenal. The easy-to-rip, simple-to-size sheets are food-safe, heat-resistant, and nonstick, which make them the perfect base for chewy coconut chocolate chip cookies, maple sugar scones, buttermilk biscuits, and other sheet pan goodies. Parchment paper, which is covered in a layer of silicone, usually comes in a tightly wrapped roll, although you can also buy precut rectangles for ease of use. (If you notice a difference in color across different types, that's because white parchment paper is treated with bleach and brown parchment paper isn't.) When baking cookies, for instance, parchment paper chiefly helps you lift away your cooled cookies without issue, but it also has the added benefit of saving you a step during cleanup. Parchment paper is also resistant to the grease that forms as the butter in your baked goods melts. Basically, this product is a win-win.

But parchment paper can do more than simply save your sheet pans. In fact, there's one easy trick involving it that makes cleaning up after baking dozens of desserts in all kinds of dishes a breeze. When baking in a square cake pan, a loaf pan, a brownie pan, or any square or rectangular casserole dish, use two pieces of parchment paper crosswise to create the perfect base for your baking.

Take fudgy, chewy, or even cakey brownies as an example. Most recipes will ask you to thoroughly grease your pan with butter or cooking spray, or to perhaps dust your greased pan with flour or cocoa powder afterwards, all in the name of releasing your brownies in one piece without cracking or other mishaps. Instead, try using two sheets of parchment paper, one going across your pan lengthwise, another going crosswise. Leave both sheets long enough that you'll have something to grip once the brownies are out of the oven, but not too long that the paper's edges will start to burn. If you're working with a particularly sticky recipe, go ahead and grease your parchment paper. After your dessert has cooled out of the oven, you can lift from the bottom piece of parchment paper to smoothly release your entire bake. After peeling away the paper for the sides, your dessert is ready to slice and serve.

This tidy parchment paper technique works on all kinds of baked goods, from Rice Krispie treats and banana bread to square cakes and lemon squares, but you can also use it on savory dishes like cornbread and strata, saving you again and again on cleanup. With this trick at your disposal, your days of digging out the corners of your pan, dishing up misshapen squares, and scrubbing your baking dishes after a hard day's baking are behind you. Happy baking!