Baking mat: which one to choose for your production

What actually separates one baking mat from another

Three parameters explain almost every difference you see in production. First, air permeability: an open weave lets steam escape from underneath, while a solid surface holds it in. Then thickness, which affects thermal inertia and how the support behaves when handled fully loaded. Finally the surface geometry, smooth or moulded, which decides whether the product spreads freely or stays calibrated.

The question is therefore not which mat is best in absolute terms. It is which of those three parameters match what you bake. A mat that works perfectly for macarons will give you poor bread, and the reverse is just as true.

The families of professional baking mats

At Maé Innovation, four families cover everything a bakery needs. They share the same technical base, a fibreglass weave coated with food-grade silicone, but differ in weave and finish.

The SILMAT pastry mat

This is the reference for anything baked flat on a tray. Its surface offers good air permeability, which gives even baking with no sticking and no greasing. The range runs from 205 x 295 mm to 600 x 800 mm and withstands temperatures from -40 °C to +250 °C in continuous contact, meeting FDA 21 CFR 177.1550 and European Regulation 10/2011.

Two variants complete the range. The thicker EP version suits bakeries that handle their mats heavily and want more rigidity. The Macaron version carries printed cavities, Ø 35 mm or Ø 38 mm, giving 60 macarons per tray, which removes both the paper template and the manual positioning.

The perforated BAKEMAT bakery mat

Here the weave is perforated. Air therefore circulates under the dough piece throughout the bake, and the base firms up instead of staying damp. That is the decisive factor on breads, baguettes, pizza dough and choux pieces. The range runs from 280 x 380 mm to 600 x 800 mm, with the same -40 °C to +250 °C span and the same food-contact references.

Put differently, when your products come out with a pale or soft base, the oven is rarely the problem. The support that blocks steam is.

The PTFE sheet

The PTFE-coated fibreglass sheet covers a wider span, from -55 °C to +254 °C in continuous contact, with the same regulatory references. At 0.13 mm it is very thin, cuts to tray size and stacks easily. It does demand more care, however: a crease leaves a permanent mark, and a scratched surface loses its non-stick properties.

The FILMAÉ bread net, when a mat is no longer enough

As soon as the dough piece has to hold its shape through proving and baking, a flat mat reaches its limit. The bread net adds the cavity to the silicone-coated mesh. The FILMAÉ range comes in fibreglass, stainless steel, perforated aluminium and a mechanisable version for automated lines, in 400 x 600, 400 x 800, 457 x 765 and 600 x 800 mm, with 4 to 8 cavities.

Were you using Flexipan or Silpat? The equivalent is made in France

Many bakeries name their support after the brand: Silpat for the mats, Flexipan for the moulds, both from Maison Demarle. The technology does not change for all that. A fibreglass weave, a food-grade silicone coating, and the same result in the oven.

So when you renew your stock, you find every reference again in our ranges: the smooth mat with SILMAT, the perforated mat with BAKEMAT, the flexible mould with Silmaé and Fibermaé. We also produce our own cavities, which lets us adapt a format to your trays when no standard one fits.

Baking mats compared

Which baking mat format suits your trays

The format follows the tray, never the product. A mat smaller than the tray slides around and leaves bare edges, while a mat that is too large rides up the sides and blocks the airflow. Measure the usable inside of your trays before ordering.

Then consider how you load the oven. Many bakeries work in 400 x 600 mm, a format found in both ranges, which keeps the stock consistent and simplifies reordering. If your trays fall outside the standards, a manufacturer can produce a specific format rather than leaving you to cut one down.

Which baking mat for which production?

Macarons and calibrated petits fours

The moulded macaron mat solves two problems at once: calibration and spacing. The 60 cavities in Ø 35 or Ø 38 mm replace the template slipped under the paper, so consistency no longer depends on the piper’s eye. On daily production, the time saved at piping is immediate.

Biscuits, shortbread, tuiles and meringues

The smooth pastry mat is enough and offers the best ratio of lifespan to daily use. Its fat-free non-stick surface also removes greasing, and with it one source of variation between trays in the same batch.

Breads, baguettes and pizza dough

Here the perforated mat becomes essential. Without steam escaping from underneath, the base stays damp and the crust never forms properly. Moreover, as soon as the dough piece must keep its shape through proving, the moulded net takes over from the flat mat.

Frozen or deferred production

The temperature range becomes the decisive criterion. A mat rated from -40 °C to +250 °C follows the product from the blast freezer to the oven with no intermediate transfer. You therefore remove one handling step and one breakage risk on fragile pieces.

Care: what really decides the working life

A poorly maintained mat loses its non-stick surface and goes back to being a consumable. Clean it with a damp, non-abrasive cloth. If a degreaser becomes necessary, use it with hot water at 70 °C, then rinse with clean water and check that the pH is neutral.

Never fold a mat, because the crease creates a permanent weak point, and never scrape the surface. Finally, always store flat. Our dedicated guide explains how to clean a silicone baking mat.

Summary: which baking mat for which use

FAQ: choosing your baking mat

For more on choosing your suppliers and your equipment, see our guide to professional bakery equipment and how to choose the right supplier.