Baking sheets and trays
Helpful Tools
Baking sheets and trays absorb and conduct the heat needed for setting, crisping and browning doughs. Baking sheets have one or more shallow raised edges to make lifting and gripping easier. Baking trays have a shallow rim all the way round to prevent runny doughs overflowing or cooked biscuits sliding off.
Materials
The best trays are made from heavy-duty aluminium, or tinned or blackened steel. They should be thick enough not to warp at high temperatures. Non-stick versions are useful, but only if the coating is durable enough to withstand a bit of abrasion. An alternative is to line an ordinary baking sheet with non-stick parchment or a silicon baking mat.
Buy the largest sheets your oven can take, allowing 5cm all round for air circulation. You'll need a minimum of two - one to load while the other is in the oven. When baking large quantities, try to avoid using two in the oven at the same time. It hampers heat circulation and creates uneven browning. If you have no choice but to use two together, move the bottom one to the top and rotate from back to front half way through the cooking time.
Shop
Mermaid are renowned in the world of pastry chefs for the quality of their hard anodised bakeware. They also have a budget range of aluminium bakeware
Click here for Mermaid baking sheets
Silverwood silver anodised aluminium bakeware is manufactured in the UK and is a good middle of the range collection.
Click here for Silverwood baking sheets
Masterclass is a high quality stainless steel range of bakeware covered with a non-stick coating.
Clicke here for Masterclass baking sheets
The best trays are made from heavy-duty aluminium, or tinned or blackened steel. They should be thick enough not to warp at high temperatures. Non-stick versions are useful, but only if the coating is durable enough to withstand a bit of abrasion. An alternative is to line an ordinary baking sheet with non-stick parchment or a silicon baking mat.
Buy the largest sheets your oven can take, allowing 5cm all round for air circulation. You'll need a minimum of two - one to load while the other is in the oven. When baking large quantities, try to avoid using two in the oven at the same time. It hampers heat circulation and creates uneven browning. If you have no choice but to use two together, move the bottom one to the top and rotate from back to front half way through the cooking time.
Shop
Mermaid are renowned in the world of pastry chefs for the quality of their hard anodised bakeware. They also have a budget range of aluminium bakeware
Click here for Mermaid baking sheets
Silverwood silver anodised aluminium bakeware is manufactured in the UK and is a good middle of the range collection.
Click here for Silverwood baking sheets
Masterclass is a high quality stainless steel range of bakeware covered with a non-stick coating.
Clicke here for Masterclass baking sheets
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