Silicone baking mat

A professional baking textbook describes a silicone mat as a flexible fiberglass mat coated with nonstick silicone. The mats are made to fit full and half sheet pans, and many manufacturers make them.

The same text says the mats withstand temperatures up to about 480 degrees F (250 degrees C), which covers nearly all baking. They line baking sheets for cookies, macarons and tuiles, and are also used in sugar work, where hot syrup or caramel must be poured onto a surface that releases cleanly.

Because a mat is nonstick, little or no grease is needed, and baked pieces lift off easily. The textbook notes that, with good care, mats can be reused for a long time if they are kept clean and never folded or creased. Bakers wash them by hand with warm soapy water, dry them flat and store them rolled or flat, since sharp creases can damage the coating.