Sheet pan


A sheet pan, baking tray or baking sheet is a flat, rectangular metal pan used in an oven. It is often used for baking bread rolls, pastries and flat products such as cookies, sheet cakes, Swiss rolls and pizzas.
These pans, like all bakeware, can be made of a variety of materials, but are primarily aluminum or stainless steel. The most basic sheet pan is literally a sheet of metal. Commercial pans are sometimes made from aluminized steel which combines the conductive, reflective, and food adherence properties of aluminum, with the rigidity, mass, and strength of the inner steel core.
Common features that may be found in sheet pans include: one or more flat edges to assist food removal, one or more raised edges to retain food, a contiguous rim to retain either food or shallow liquid, handles to assist in moving the pan into and out of the oven, a layer of insulation designed to protect delicate food from burning, or perforations to aid in speeding cooking.
Rigidity of the pan is especially important if the pan is to be placed directly on a flat heat source Rims and ridges contribute to rigidity.
Mass, thermal conductivity, and colour of the pan play key roles in achieving a uniform cooking temperature. The friction of the pan's under surface may be a safety consideration in some applications.
Unlike other bakeware, smaller sheet pans function as convenient task trays.

Types and sizes

A sheet pan that has a continuous lip around all four sides may be called a jelly roll pan. A pan that has at least one side flat, so that it is easy to slide the baked product off the end, may be called a cookie sheet.
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Professional sheet pans used in commercial kitchens typically are made of aluminum, with a raised lip around the edge, and come in both standard and non-standard sizes. Within each standard, other commercial kitchen equipment, such as cooling racks, ovens, and shelving, is made to fit these standard pans. In many cases, American and European sizes are matched closely enough to be used interchangeably.
Typically, for rimmed trays, each rim will sacrifice of baking surface along that edge. Pans of a single design from a single vendor will usually share the same rim height and rake across all tray sizes in a series, thus the sacrifice of flat baking surface is proportionally greater for small pans than for large pans.
While nominally half the size—and typically sharing one dimension—quarter sheets will not necessarily nest inside a half sheet side by side. Some vendors supply quarter sheets that are half the size of a half sheet in outer dimension, while other vendors supply quarter sheets that are closer to half the size of a half sheet in flat baking area.

European sizes

European standard pan dimensions are governed by GN numbers under European Committee for Standardization EN 631.
Gastronorm sizesDimensions
GN2/1650 × 530 mm
GN1/1530 × 325 mm
GN2/3354 × 325 mm
GN2/4530 × 162 mm
GN1/2325 × 265 mm
GN1/3325 × 176 mm
GN1/4265 × 162 mm
GN1/6176 × 162 mm
GN1/9108 × 176 mm

European sized trays usually come in standard depths of 20, 40, 65, 100, 150 and 200 mm.

U.S. sizes

In American sizing, the full-size sheet pan is, which is too large for most home ovens. A two thirds sheet pan is. A half sheet pan is ; quarter sheets are. The half sheet is approximately the same size as mass-market baking sheets found in supermarkets, and the quarter sheet is a common size for rectangular, single-layer cakes.
Conventional U.S. Size NameOuter
width
Outer
depth
Outer
height
Outer
width
Outer
depth
Outer
height
Full2618166045725
Two Thirds 2115153338125
Half1813145733025
Quarter139.5133024125
Eighth9.56.5124116525

Note that values are approximate and vary based on rim size and style.

Institutional use

Commercial sheet pans are used for many purposes besides baking. Kitchen or cooking processes are often designed around kitchen equipment such as sheet pans, presupposing their ubiquity in most commercial food preparation areas.
In bread baking, especially, the bread dough will often go through several long rest intervals on sheet pans stacked in open or enclosed sheet pan racks. Enclosed racks may also be ventilated or temperature controlled to some degree.