baking without baking paper?

[lcorteen]

baking without baking paper?

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Hi everyone

Just wondering if anyone bakes without non-stick and baking paper? If so, what do you use??

I figure these are recent inventions and so there must be things our grandmothers and mothers used instead. I can remember greasing the cake tin until my twenties (and gleefully eating any cake that stuck to the bottom ). I have had a bit of a hunt for non-non-stick bakeware and have had no luck, other than aluminium, which I don't want to use either.

Any ideas/suggestions??

[starbuckozzie]

Re: baking without baking paper?

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Grease (i.e. butter) and flour works.

I don't ever wash my bread tins and as long as they are well seasoned and oiled or buttered before use they are fine.

You'd need to buy some quality kitchenware from a proper kitchen supplier I think. I don't know if DJs or Myer have that stuff; we have a local supplier here because there are so many restaurants in the Hunter.

[Nyree]

Re: baking without baking paper?

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Yep - good quality tins, greased & floured

[lcorteen]

Re: baking without baking paper?

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great thanks!

Glad to know about not washing the bread tins - one less chore to do is good news

Pardon my ignorance, but do you know what the tins are made of? Stainless steel? I know my Gran used to have a cast iron drop scone tray, which mum has, but it is pretty heavy and I imagine cast iron bakeware would be extremely expensive

[elbin]

Re: baking without baking paper?

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they're usually steel, not stainless, as they do rust if you leave them wet. I've never used baking paper, butter, (or oil), and flour work perfectly.

[melba]

Re: baking without baking paper?

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sometimes you can get cheapish cast iron ware in camping stores, just keep it well oiled to prevent rust

op shops also goood source!

I have had trouble finding trays etc recently that are neither aluminium nor nonstick and found some that are "blue" steel - not heavy like cast iron, and need to be kept oiled - our local kitchenware store ordered them in for me from a wholesale catalogue

this is the type of thing:

Guery Blue Steel Baking Sheet Large collection of Baking Trays in Sydney. - Food Utensils

pricey but indestructible!

you can also use pyrex dishes for baking cakes, pies, not so good for biscuits

[Meri]

Re: baking without baking paper?

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i've had plenty of success with those floppy silicon cake pans, just a little drop of oil, wipe over bottom and sides with paper towel and no probs. just got the brand ones from chain stores - big w, target etc. didnt go for the tupperware ones they're way too pricey.i have all the ones available, the flat one for biscuits is good too....

[ENR]

Re: baking without baking paper?

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This may be a stupid question but why not use baking paper? Argh, there is so much I don't know.

[lcorteen]

Re: baking without baking paper?

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No such thing as a stupid question!!

I just don't want to use it as I figure it must be coated in toxic stuff in order to be non-stick. Same with teflon (the covering on non-stick bakeware) - becomes unstable at high temps... Also have my doubts about silicone bakeware. I have done very little research into it, just my gut tells me they must be mainly plastics or some other kind of petrochemical derivative and I therefore do not want a heated (and potentially unstable) form of that near our food.

I did read an article in New Scientist many years ago about plasticides from gladwrap and plastic food containers leaching into food when reheated in the microwave. It happened more when the food was high in fat and/or sugar. Ick! I just don;t want that in our bodies...

[starbuckozzie]

Re: baking without baking paper?

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I feel the same way as Louise about silicon products. Absolutely no scientific proof that it's bad, just a gut feeling. I agree it's better not to use baking paper; think of the waste if nothing else!

Greaseproof or wax paper has been around a very long time (Wikipedia says since medieval times) so might be worth looking into if you really think you need paper. It's permeated with wax or paraffin but is only suitable for when the batter covers all the paper (otherwise it can smoke).

I think baking paper is permeated with silicon so is probably safe but there's my gut instinct again ...