How Does
How Parchment Paper Works
Parchment Paper
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First, to clear up any misunderstandings, parchment paper is different from parchment. Parchment is animal skin that's treated and carefully preserved for use in writing. Parchment paper, on the other hand, is a specially prepared paper that is used for cooking. Parchment paper is used in a variety of kitchen applications from lining baking pans and sheets to acting as a spatter shield. Just how this paper can be used at temperatures up to 450 degrees without risk of it burning or melting, though, is an explanation that requires a closer look at just how the paper's treated and what it's meant to be used for.
Coating
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What gives parchment paper its grease- and moisture-resistant abilities is that it is coated in a layer of silicone. This unique element acts like wax or plastic, making the paper extremely resistant to being penetrated by any form of moisture. Unlike wax or plastic, though, silicone has a much higher melting temperature. This means that there's no worry about the coating from a parchment paper sheet melting and ruining food that it's supposed to be protecting. This is what makes parchment paper more expensive than wax paper, which serves the same purpose but which has a simple coating of wax that often melts or burns.
Use
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Because the silicone coating makes parchment paper more resistant to moisture at higher temperatures, it is used in a number of different ways. The most common use is to line a baking tray with for cookies or pastries. This stops the baked goods from sticking to the pan and, as mentioned above, the silicone coating will hold up at a variety of high temperatures. The most famous use of parchment paper is when foods are wrapped in it to be baked en papillote, where the paper not only protects the food from sticking to a pan but also helps heat it up throughout the cooking process.
eHow Article: How Parchment Paper Works
