Heat-resistant silicone as a material for kitchen utensils began to gain popularity relatively recently. Some housewives still do not exclude its possible harm from contact with food, especially when exposed to high temperatures. However, at the legislative level, there is a provision that absolutely all products, the use of which provides for direct contact with foodstuffs, are subject to strict security control before mass release to free circulation.
Such control passes and food grade silicone. This synthetic material is harmless to health and can be used in the manufacture of kitchen utensils for cooking. If products are manufactured by a reliable, conscientious manufacturer, then safety concerns should not occur to consumers.
Description
Silicone cooking mats are usually available in rectangular shapes of various colors and sizes. There are people who are very demanding to each stroke in the design style of the kitchen. The color scale of the rugs will allow each hostess to choose a product in accordance with the overall design of the kitchen interior. On all four sides of the front side markings are applied in the form of a centimeter ruler, which allows you to roll out the dough exactly under the existing baking sheet.
The markup is convenient not only when rolling. With its help, you can easily "cut out" some kinds of confectionery from dough, applying the side with a ruler to the edge of the dough. In the center of the mat there are circles of different diameters and the size of each of them is marked, therefore, it is easy to roll out the desired circle from the dough, for example, for pizza. The steady paint of the applied marking is not erased throughout the entire life cycle of the rug.
A variety of sizes of products will pleasantly surprise when choosing the most demanding customer. These are miniature rugs 30x40 cm, and medium products 60x40 cm, and large sizes 80x60 cm, and special 68x52 cm, and other options. The smooth glossy texture of the seamy side of the rug has excellent adhesion to any surface of the tabletop, while rolling the dough the mat remains stationary. Even if you pull the edge of the product, the material will be a little delayed, and the mat will remain in place.
Benefits
Silicone mat will add to the cooking process a lot of useful things, namely:
- the ability to roll out a test circle of a given size;
- do not stick raw dough;
- no slip on the tabletop;
- reduces the time for cooking;
- reduces the complexity of home baking;
- easy to clean;
- durable, unbreakable material;
- compactness of the product (minimum storage space);
- Flour is not thrown on the table while rolling dough.
disadvantages
With all the positive properties of silicone mats should be noted and the existing shortcomings. A significant drawback is low strength. If you accidentally hook the surface with a kitchen tool, the rug may tear. The downside is the fact that, despite the artificial origin of the material, the rugs are not cheap. When folded several times in creases, creases form, as a result, the service life is reduced. There are products that eventually lose the brightness of the color.
How to roll?
Working with dough of any kind (yeast, flaky, fresh, sweet, shortbread and other types) is a delicate matter that requires a certain skill and scruples. The use of silicone pad for rolling dough at home greatly simplifies the task. A part of the finished dough is taken and laid out in the middle of the mat. It is not necessary to add flour, dough, and so will not stick. But some housewives, most likely on the old habit of pre-sprinkled on the mat about 1 tablespoon of flour, harm from this, of course, does not happen.
Roll out the dough or the size of the circle printed on the rug, or on the measuring lines on the side (depending on what you plan to cook). At the same time, the rug does not slide over the table surface during rolling movements of the rolling pin.
The plasticity of the material allows you to roll out a layer of dough on a uniform thickness much more convenient and faster than on a solid table.
How to choose?
For contact with food, the quality and safety of products is of paramount importance. First of all, you need to make sure that absolutely no odor comes from the mat. A pungent odor will indicate that a manufacturer using poor quality raw materials is dishonest, such a product cannot be bought. Silicone looks similar to ordinary rubber, a simple buyer is not easy to distinguish a fake from a quality product.
Therefore, it is necessary to buy kitchen accessories preferably in specialized centers for the sale of goods for the kitchen, and not in the domestic departments of supermarkets. We should not forget that high cost does not always mean good quality, but it is also better to refuse from suspiciously cheap products.
Be sure to check the label, which should be presented the following comprehensive information:
- the manufacturer and its location;
- the name and composition of the material;
- marks of conformity and safety;
- document data on the production of the product;
- mark "for food".
Important! There may be insignificant differences in the labeling of different manufacturers, but data on safety and use are mandatory for all. The rug should be flexible, evenly colored, with smooth edges.
Care highlights
It is recommended to adhere to the following recommendations:
- Rinse thoroughly with baking soda before use; as the silicone is heat-resistant, it is not bad to scald it with boiling water, cool it, dry it and you can use it;
- after use, it is enough to rub the mat lightly with a soft sponge under a tap of warm tap water - the remnants of flour and dough “slip” off the mat without any effort; compared to washing the tabletop when cutting dough without a rug, this is impressive;
- it is not recommended to cut anything with a knife directly on the carpet in order not to damage the surface;
- the mat should not be folded in half or fourfold, the surface may be damaged on the folds, the product service life will be reduced.
Keep better in a rolled up roll, intercepting a thin rubber band.
Functionality
On the silicone mat can not only roll out the dough. This heat-resistant non-stick material on which you can bake all sorts of culinary creations and pastries, placing them in the oven directly on the rug. If you manage to prepare too many dumplings or other products for the future, you can freeze semi-finished products with a rug. In this form, it is convenient to get the freezing out of the freezer when necessary.
Anyone who often pampers his family with homemade cakes, it is advisable to have a silicone mat in the number of kitchen utensils for rolling, complete with a bag for kneading dough, so that the kitchen after bothering with pastries will always be guaranteed clean, without tedious cleaning.
Overview of the dough and baking pad “Baker” 100% silicone, see the following video.
