Did you know that parchment paper can be reused? It doesn’t just need to be used once. You can reuse it repeatedly until the paper is so worn and stained that you cannot bear to look at them anymore. Reusing baking parchment is a great way to get the most out of your product and reduce waste.
But wait! You can recycle or compost parchment easily. It’s paper, after all.
Yes, but parchment paper includes a thin coating of silicone, which makes it water-resistant, nonstick, temperature-resistant — and not a candidate for recycling. Coated parchment cannot be recycled or composted because silicone can’t be separated from the paper.
You cannot recycle or compost this parchment. Recycling parchment is one way to help reduce waste. (Another way? Get rid of the plastic wrap!
When can parchment be reused?
The first rule of thumb is to be sensible. Food safety is important. You don’t want parchment that has held meat or fish to be reused, even though it may look clean. Bakin’ the bacon! You can throw away the parchment.
Another story is exposure to dairy. Bake cookies, scones and biscuits on a parchment-lined baking tray. You will find traces of milk, eggs, and butter in your parchment after you’re done baking. Baking at 250 degrees F kills any bacteria that may have formed from raw ingredients. Any residue that remains on parchment should be safe.
However, it would be best if you did not use parchment strips to collect frosting smears at the edges of your layer cakes. After being wiped down, any milk or butter left on parchment from frosting could be problematic.
The same goes for a parchment sheet used to make pie crust and knead bread dough, even non-dairy ones. It shouldn’t then be reused.
How about parchment that you used to bake cakes, brownies, bars or other batter-based confections. It will be covered with sticky residue from your cakes or bars and maybe quite soggy.
Bottom line: Only use parchment that has been baked on and not used in raw dough shaping and preparation. Also, only reuse parchment that is easy to clean. You can’t reuse parchment soiled with sticky, burnt apple pie spillover.
How to reuse the parchment?
A batch of chocolate chips coo has been baked on a new piece of parchment. The parchment is marked with grease stains around the cookie resting places and some melted chocolate and crumbs. Is it possible to save this parchment?
Absolutely. You can wipe it with a damp paper towel or a reusable, bamboo-fiber cloth. King Arthur only recommends products we love as bakers. Affiliate commissions may be earned if you purchase through links outside our site. )
Keep used parchment in a place that gets plenty of fresh air. This will prevent the accumulation of odors. My used parchment is stored on top of my stack of halfsheet pans. It’s easy to find it when you need it.
How many times can parchment ever be used again?
It all depends on how much it has been used. You can use the parchment until it starts to crumble if you place it under bagels, or any other simple yeast breads. Even though you try to clean it, any parchment that is used for baking cookies or other fat-rich treats will eventually get very greasy.
What about charred parchment, however?
The parchment used to make pizza and other crusty breads is frequently exposed to extremely high temperatures, sometimes as high as 450°F. It’s fine to reuse parchment, even though it may darken or even char at its edges. Remember that parchment used for high-temperature baking can deteriorate quicker than parchment used at lower temperatures. If it begins to crumble around its edges, it should be thrown away.
You don’t have it to be thrown away if you don’t want to bake with it.
