The Parchment Paper Tip To Keep In Mind For Homemade Flatbread

Parchment paper is an often underrated tool in the kitchen. It comes in handy in so many different situations, but it doesn't get much fanfare. It's great for keeping counters clean when you roll out dough, lining baking dishes and sheet pans to save on washing, keeping foods separated so that they don't stick together, and a whole lot more. And while it's super useful, it's also easy to take the roll in your kitchen drawer for granted so that you don't notice it's run out until it's too late. At that point, you'll really miss its convenience. So you might want to stock up now that you're about to learn a fantastic tip for transferring flatbread dough directly to a hot pan using parchment paper.

Transferring raw flatbread from the counter where it's been rolled out to the pan where it will cook can be a delicate job. Since the dough stretches easily, those perfectly formed pieces can easily lose their roundness and uniform thickness during the tricky transfer. The result is an asymmetrical flatbread that is thinner in some places than others — and that's definitely not what you want. But this tip can fix all of that.

Instead of rolling out the flatbread directly on the counter, do so on top of a piece of parchment paper the same as you would with a pie crust or other dough. Not only will this keep your countertops free from excess flour and stuck dough, but you won't have to pick the flatbread up with just your hands to support it and risk it falling out of shape in the process. With the parchment paper supporting the flatbread, it won't have any trouble keeping its shape throughout the transfer.

Just lift the parchment paper, position it over the hot griddle or skillet, and slide it on top so that the rolled-out dough falls directly onto the pan. Repeat until all of that irresistible flatbread has been cooked. The same piece of parchment paper can be used over and over to save on waste and prevent the roll from running out prematurely if you flip your dough over directly onto the pan.

In addition to keeping your counter clean and ensuring that the flatbread will make it to the pan with its shape intact, parchment paper also comes in super handy for making flatbread pizzas in the oven. The kitchen staple can withstand temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's perfect for lining a baking sheet or pizza stone. By doing so, you'll be able to bake your flatbread pizzas without having to worry about the cheese or any other ingredients getting baked onto the surface.

Preparing your flatbread pizza directly on the parchment paper also means that you can pre-heat the baking sheet or pizza stone while you do so — and it won't lose any heat waiting for the toppings to go on. Just slide the parchment paper with the flatbread directly onto the hot stone or sheet once it's ready to go into the oven. And once it's done, you'll be able to just as easily slide the finished flatbread pizza off of the parchment paper and onto a plate without any sticking. From start to finish, parchment paper is the key to perfect flatbread.