Silpat® : a success story

Silpat® technology

In 1965, at Bray-lès-Mareuil in the Somme, baker Guy Demarle wanted to find a better way to bake baguettes. He combined two materials—silicone and fiberglass—for even baking, a nonstick finish, and a long service life, bake after bake.

The nonstick properties come from phthalate- and Bisphenol A (BPA)-free food-grade silicone, and so there’s no need to grease them. Bakes simply unmold flawlessly every time. Fiberglass gives the baking mat structure and distributes heat evenly.

Silpat® technology, also available in the Silpain® microperforated version for crusty bread and crisp pizza dough, was quickly embraced by many chefs, particularly in the bakery and pastry industries. Nowadays, the brand is so popular that pros no longer say “a baking mat”, they say “a Silpat®”.

Silpat® makes a version for discerning home bakers

Silpat® mats originally came in a large industrial size, and thus were only for professional pastry chefs. More and more cooking enthusiasts—those in the know—began clamoring for a version to use in domestic ovens. So Silpat® decided to start manufacturing a new range of smaller products, so that anyone can reap the benefits of the famous Silicone Mat at home.

A new Silpat® range of pastry molds

We felt like all the kitchen tools like piping tips, pastry rings, and rolling pins were missing something, and that missing thing was a Silpat®. Building on the mat's success, Silpat® then designed a complete range of baking molds named Flexipan, intended to become the fiberglass-reinforced silicone counterpart to the mats. Now anyone can make perfect madeleines, muffins, cupcakes, and tartlets thanks to Silpat®.

Easy maintenance

Just follow a few simple rules to make sure your Silpat lasts:

Like with Teflon, use wooden or plastic kitchen utensils like spatulas to help with unmolding, rather than knives or abrasive tools that could damage the nonstick food-grade silicone coating. There's no need to grease the mat. Nothing will stick to it, unlike a conventional stainless steel coating or aluminum foil.
Use in combination with our baking and cooling tray in the oven. Do not put the product into direct contact with a flame, grill, hotplate, or barbecue.
Do not use a rectangular mat in the microwave, instead use a product that fits, and never cut the mat. This store also sells special octagonal mats for microwaves.
Easy cleaning: use the soft side of a sponge and dish soap.
Air dry on a flat surface.
Roll up the flexible mat without creasing it and store in its original box or with a Silband.
Store molds flat in their original box

Silpat in 6 points :

1. Perfect unmolding

The nonstick silicone coating ensures perfect unmolding without the need to grease. Silpat technology, whether it’s used in a cooking mat or a cake mold, guarantees you will be able to unmold your baked good smoothly.

2. Even cooking

Is there anyone who hasn’t messed up a bake? Baking is such a crucial step when you’re making something, so the benefits Silpat technology provides are truly critical. The fiberglass structure diffuses heat very evenly in Silpat mats and silicone molds.

3. Tough as nails

From the outset, the Silpat® concept was designed to be robust in industrial and artisan bakery environments and the products are guaranteed for over 3,000 baking cycles. And since sometimes our bakes go from very high to low temperatures and vice versa, the fiberglass-reinforced mats can withstand temperatures from -40 °F to 465 °F. It’s completely safe for cooking at high temperatures as well as freezing.

4. A money-saving cooking solution

Investing in a Silpat product is a great financial decision. A properly maintained Silpat product can withstand over 2,000 baking cycles. If you opt for traditional parchment paper instead of reaping the benefits of silicone molds and mats, you'll spend over 100 euros for the same number of cycles (compared to prices on Google Shopping for 500-sheet packs).

5. An environmentally friendly solution

We use phthalate- and BPA-free food-grade silicone. Silicone is not biodegradable, but the number of cycles a Silpat® product can be used for makes it a truly effective alternative to our old friend parchment paper. If we refer back to our previous example: 2,000 baking cycles means 2,000 fewer sheets in the garbage!

6. Fully made in France

To guarantee we maintain full control over production quality, Silpat has chosen to never outsource the manufacturing of its cookware. Our story began in the Somme and continues today in Wavrin, near Lille.

You'll work wonders

Baking and unmolding are crucial steps in making baked goods. Silpat is designed to ensure you succeed, whether you’re making cakes, macarons, cookies, madeleines, or bread. Silpat products are made of silicone and fiberglass mesh, which makes them nonstick and easy to clean. They replace parchment paper and are also completely reusable.

The best recipe? Yours.

Give free rein to your imagination and create indulgent desserts and savory dishes. Cakes, tarts, choux pastries, cookies, tuiles, Yule logs, shortbread cookies, croissants, petits-fours, meringues, macarons, fondant, cannelés... The possibilities are endless! Regardless, everyone will be talking about your desserts.