How to Use Rubber Plastic Baking Dishes

You can't help but notice them in department stores or specialty cookware shops -- those bright-colored baking dishes that look like they are made of rubber or plastic. But that cookware, with its vibrant colors and flexible shapes, is silicone. And it not only looks great, but also has a nonstick surface and offers versatile baking and serving options. Wash silicone bakeware by hand or in the dishwasher after using it to bake cakes, quick breads, muffins, casseroles and meats in either the microwave or the oven.

Things You'll Need

• Nonstick cooking spray
• Metal baking sheet

Instructions

1. Set the oven to whatever temperature is required for your recipe. Generally, silicone bakeware can tolerate oven temperatures up to 400 or 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Spray the inside surfaces of the bakeware evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Although silicone has natural nonstick qualities, using the spray will enable you to remove foods flawlessly from the bakeware.

3. Place the silicone bakeware onto a metal baking sheet before placing food in it. This will help stabilize the flexible silicone.

4. If you are roasting or cooking meat, place the meat directly into the baking pan. If you are baking a cake in round or square cake pans, fill the pans almost to the top. If you are baking muffins or cupcakes, fill the individual areas about 1/2 inch below the top. If you are baking a cake in a tube pan, fill the batter to about 1 inch from the top of the pan.

5. Place the silicone bakeware on the baking sheet into the oven to bake. Check the food as it bakes and watch the baking time. Foods in silicone bakeware often require less time to cook; your food may finish baking about 10 minutes faster than in regular bakeware.

6. Remove the baking sheet and the silicone bakeware from the oven together.

7. Allow baked foods to cool for up to 10 minutes before removing them from the bakeware. Expect foods to cool more quickly than they would in traditional bakeware.

8. Remove the foods from the bakeware by inverting the pan and pressing gently on its bottom. Peel the sides of the silicone bakeware gently away from the baked food.

9. Wash the silicone bakeware by hand in the sink or in the dishwasher.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult usage instructions for your silicone bakeware for baking temperature recommendations.

• Wash silicone bakeware before you use it for the first time.

• If you cook your food in the microwave, it may cook faster than in glass or ceramic cookware.

• Never use scouring pads on silicone bakeware.

• Never use sharp knives or other implements on silicone bakeware.

References

• Kitchen Krafts: Baking with Silicone
• Penn State: Silicone Cooking