Parchment paper, or vegetable parchment, is a
cellulose-based composite that has been processed to give it additional properties like
non-stickiness, grease resistance, and resistance to humidity. It is commonly used in
baking
Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferred " ...
as a disposable non-stick,
grease resistant surface. It should not be confused with
waxed paper, which is paper that has been coated in wax.
Parchmentization of paper
Vegetable parchment paper is made by running sheets of
paper pulp through a bath of
sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid ( Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen, with the molecular formu ...
(a method similar to the way
tracing paper is made) or sometimes
zinc chloride. This process partially dissolves or gelatinizes the paper. This treatment forms a sulfurized
cross-linked material, with high density, stability, heat resistance, grease resistance, water resistance, no loose fibers as well as low
surface energy
In surface science, surface free energy (also interfacial free energy or surface energy) quantifies the disruption of intermolecular bonds that occurs when a surface is created. In solid-state physics, surfaces must be intrinsically less energe ...
— thereby imparting good non-stick or release properties.
The treated paper has an appearance similar to that of
parchment and, because of its strength, is sometimes used in legal documents for which parchment was traditionally used. (However, parchment paper is manufactured with acid, and has a low pH, making it inappropriate for archival documents where
acid-free paper
Acid-free paper is paper that, if infused in water, yields a neutral or basic (chemistry), basic pH (7 or slightly greater). It can be made from any cellulose fiber as long as the active acid pulp is eliminated during processing. It is also lign ...
is the better choice.)
Applications in cooking and baking
A common use is to eliminate the need to grease
sheet pans and the like, allowing very rapid turn-around of batches of baked goods with minimal clean up. Parchment paper is also used to cook ''
en papillote
''En papillote'' (; French for "enveloped in paper"), or ''al cartoccio'' in Italian, is a method of cooking in which the food is put into a folded pouch or parcel and then baked. This method is most often used to cook fish or vegetables, but lamb ...
'', a technique where food is
steamed 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 by a mixture of materials or a polymer to impart certain qualities to the paper, including weight, surface gloss, smoothness, or reduced ink absor ...
, for which a suitable
release agent—a coating with a low surface energy and capability to withstand the temperatures involved in the
baking
Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferred " ...
or
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 caramelization ...
process—is deposited onto the paper's surface;
silicone
A silicone or polysiloxane is a polymer made up of siloxane (−R2Si−O−SiR2−, where R = organic group). They are typically colorless oils or rubber-like substances. Silicones are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medicine, cooking ...
(cured with a suitable
catalyst) 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.
Disposal
Parchment paper is composed of cellulosic fibers and therefore is considered compostable both in an industrial setting (EN13432) and at home.
See also
*
Coated paper
Coated paper (also known as enamel paper, gloss paper, and thin paper) is paper that has been coated by a mixture of materials or a polymer to impart certain qualities to the paper, including weight, surface gloss, smoothness, or reduced ink absor ...
*
Dough
*
Greaseproof paper
Greaseproof paper is paper that is impermeable to oil or grease, and is normally used in cooking or food packaging. It is usually produced by refining the paper stock and thus creating a sheet with very low porosity. This is then passed between h ...
*
Release liner
References
{{Paper
Baking
Paper
Food preparation utensils
Coated paper