Greasing Brownie Pans: Sides Or Not?

Greasing the sides of the pan is essential when baking brownies to ensure they don't stick. While it used to be that only the bottom of the pan was greased for brownies, recipes now generally instruct bakers to grease and flour the pan. This is because greasing helps to release the brownies from the pan, and flouring gives the batter something to hold onto so that it will rise higher.

There are several ways to grease a pan for brownies: with butter or shortening and flour; with butter and sugar; using non-stick cooking spray; or using foil or parchment paper.

Greasing the pan with butter, shortening, or cooking spray

Greasing the pan is an essential step in brownie preparation to prevent the batter from sticking to the pan. While modern non-stick pans are available, greasing the pan with butter, shortening, or cooking spray is still recommended. Here are some detailed instructions for greasing your brownie pan using these common kitchen staples:

Butter

Using butter to grease your brownie pan will add a delicious savoury aroma to your brownies. You can simply run a stick of butter around the bottom and sides of the pan. Alternatively, you can use a paper towel to wipe softened butter all over the pan, ensuring an even coating.

Shortening

Shortening is a popular choice for greasing brownie pans and has been used traditionally for generations. You can use a paper towel to wipe the shortening over the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure to cover all surfaces.

Cooking Spray

Non-stick cooking spray is a convenient and effective option to grease your brownie pan. Simply spray the pan generously, ensuring that all surfaces are coated. This method is especially useful for brownies as you typically don't need to remove them from the pan, just slice and serve.

Additional Tips

• Flour: After greasing your pan with butter or shortening, you can add a tablespoon or two of flour. Rotate and tap the pan to ensure the flour covers all greased surfaces. This method works well for cakes as it helps the batter to rise and gives it something to hold onto.
• Sugar: Instead of flour, you can use sugar when greasing the pan for quick bread. This method gives a nice crunchy exterior to your brownies.
• Parchment Paper or Foil: Many bakers like to line their greased pan with parchment paper or aluminium foil. Cut the parchment paper or foil larger than the size of the pan so that the edges hang over the sides like a sling. This makes it easier to lift the brownies out of the pan after baking and cooling.

By following these instructions and using butter, shortening, or cooking spray, you can effectively grease your brownie pan and ensure that your brownies don't stick.

Lining the pan with parchment paper or foil

Lining your pan with parchment paper or foil is a great way to save time and effort when making brownies. It is a simple trick that can make removing your brownies from the pan a lot easier and makes clean-up quicker too.

To line your pan with parchment paper, first, cut the parchment paper to be approximately 14 inches long for an 8x8 inch pan. This will give you 3 inches of overhang on each side of the pan. If you are using a larger pan, simply adjust the length of the parchment paper accordingly, making sure that you have enough overhang to cover the inside of the pan. Next, fold the parchment paper in half and then fold one side of the parchment paper onto itself, creating a 3-inch fold. Repeat this process with the opposite side of the parchment paper. Now, fold in each of the remaining sides in the same way. You should now have a square-shaped piece of parchment paper that fits neatly into your pan. If your square is too big or too small, simply adjust the folds as needed.

Another method for lining your pan with parchment paper is to cut two pieces of parchment paper to the width of the pan and lay them in opposite directions. This creates a "sling" that makes it easier to lift the brownies out of the pan after baking.

If you prefer to use foil, a similar technique can be used. For an 8 or 9-inch square pan, tear off a square piece of foil from a 12-inch roll. Turn the pan upside down and centre the foil on it, allowing 1.5 to 2 inches of foil to extend on each side. Fold the excess foil down the sides of the pan and crease the corners as if you were wrapping a present. Slip the liner off the pan, turn the pan right side up, and ease the liner into it.

Once you have lined your pan with parchment paper or foil, be sure to grease it thoroughly with shortening, softened butter, or cooking spray before adding your brownie batter. This will ensure that your brownies don't stick to the lining. After baking and cooling, simply lift the brownies out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper or foil and place them on a cutting board. Gently peel away the lining and cut your brownies into squares.

Using non-stick cooking spray

When using non-stick cooking spray, it is important to apply a light coat to the pan. This ensures that there is no build-up of the spray on the food or the pan.

Non-stick cooking spray is particularly useful for brownie recipes that require the pan to be greased and then dusted with flour. An uneven layer of oil or butter can cause more flour to stick to certain sections, resulting in flavourless white spots on the brownies.

In addition to its use in brownie baking, non-stick cooking spray has a variety of other applications in the kitchen. It can be used to prevent food from sticking to measuring cups, graters, cooling racks, and roasting pans.

It is worth noting that some non-stick sprays contain additives and propellants that may not be ideal for cooking. However, there are additive-free sprays available, such as sunflower oil spray.

Greasing the pan with oil or butter and flour

To grease your pan with oil or butter and flour, start by applying a thin coat of oil or softened butter to the bottom and sides of the pan. You can use a paper towel or the stick of butter itself to do this. Next, sprinkle a tablespoon or two of all-purpose flour into the pan. Rotate and tap the pan to ensure that the flour covers every greased surface. Finally, discard any remaining flour.

This method is especially useful if you plan to lift the entire batch of brownies out of the pan for slicing or displaying. It is also a good option if you are making a chocolate cake that you do not want to cover completely in frosting, as the flour will leave a white ring on the outside of the cake. In this case, you can substitute cocoa powder for flour to avoid any unsightly discolouration.

However, if you are making a layer cake, it is recommended to cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan before greasing and flouring. This will ensure that your cake comes out of the pan with ease.

In addition to oil or butter and flour, you can also use cooking spray, foil, or parchment paper to prevent your brownies from sticking to the pan. Some bakers even suggest greasing the pan with butter and then using sugar instead of flour, which gives a nice crunch to quick bread.

Using cocoa powder instead of flour

Greasing the pan is essential when baking brownies to prevent them from sticking to the pan. The traditional way to grease a pan is with shortening, butter, or cooking spray, and many bakers also line the pan with parchment paper or aluminium foil.

When greasing a pan, some bakers recommend dusting the pan with a small amount of cocoa powder instead of flour, especially when making brownies or other dark-coloured baked goods. This is because flour can leave white streaks on the finished product. The cocoa powder trick works best with darker chocolate baked goods as it can make the final product too bitter otherwise.

To grease a pan with cocoa powder, simply grease the pan with butter, shortening, or cooking spray, and then dust with cocoa powder.

Ingredients:

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

• Position your oven rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat the oven to 325ºF.
• Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment or aluminium paper and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
• Combine butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl, preferably glass, and place the bowl over a pan of water that is just barely simmering. Stir occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is combined.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. You do not want the mixture to be too hot when you add the eggs.
• After the mixture has cooled slightly, add vanilla and mix well.
• Add eggs, one at a time, and beat vigorously until very well mixed.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder, and stir to combine.
• Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix very well to combine. Stir about 40 strokes with a spoon.
• If adding chocolate chips and/or nuts, fold them into the batter.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out with some moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Frequently asked questions