Leave Your Silicone Baking Mat In The Oven For Easy Clean Up
What's your go to when baking? Parchment paper? A greased tray? Or do you prefer the reusable silicone baking mat? If you answered yes to the baking mat, you're not alone. Silicone baking mats offer quite a few benefits to the kitchen. For one, they are reuseable, and that's plenty of reason to own a few. Beyond their eco-friendly design silicone mats create an even baking surface, even on your oldest, rustiest cookie sheet.
If you have been using grease or parchment paper to prevent baked goods from sticking to the pan, a baking mat does the exact same thing. It just does it with no grease and no waste. They also offer bonuses, such as measuring lines as you roll out dough on the counter, and complete heat resistance for your hot, sticky buns and things that need to cool on the counter.
There's one downside to the silicone baking mat. It needs cleaning when you are done with it, prior to reuse. It's not a big issue, but cleaning anything that has something gooey or burnt on it isn't easy. However, one little trick makes cleaning your silicone baking mat a breeze.
Put your mat back in the oven
For daily cleaning of your silicone baking mat, simply use a mild dish soap and warm water, just as you do with dishes. You can also create a gentle cleaner using lemon juice and baking soda. Don't soak your baking mats, but rather wipe them clean with your cleaner and a dishrag not long after using them. After several uses, you may notice sticky residue, as mentioned above. For that, you'll need an additional step to bring your silicone baking mat back to its top condition.
After baking your delectable treats and removing them from the mat, leave the oven on and turn it up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. With your baking mat set on a wire cooling rack in a cookie sheet, place it in the oven for about an hour. After it's done, carefully move the mat to your sink and clean as normal. This should get rid of any burnt, stuck on pieces, and greasy or sticky residue on your silicone baking mat. If you've got real stubborn messes, grab a nonabrasive scrubbing cleanser, and that should do the trick as well.