Onion skins are usually treated as packaging supplied by nature: useful until the bulb reaches the chopping board, then discarded. Chemically, though, those papery layers are unusually concentrated plant material, rich in fiber and phenolic compounds such as quercetin. That makes them an interesting candidate for “upcycling” into flour-based foods—provided the resulting food still behaves and tastes like food.

A 2020 study in Scientific Reports tested that idea in pizza bases. The researchers cleaned red-onion skins, freeze-dried them, ground them into a powder, and used it to replace 2%, 3.5%, or 5% of refined wheat flour. They then measured the dough’s mechanical behavior, the baked base’s texture and color, antioxidant-related chemistry, sensory acceptance, and microbial growth during storage.

The Science Behind Silicone Baking Mats

In the world of modern baking, few innovations have been as quietly revolutionary as the silicone baking mat. While home bakers often take these flexible, non-stick surfaces for granted, the science behind their remarkable properties reveals a fascinating intersection of polymer chemistry, thermal engineering, and food safety research.

The Molecular Foundation

At its core, a silicone baking mat is composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a synthetic polymer that belongs to the broader family of silicones. Unlike traditional plastics, which are carbon-based, silicones feature a backbone of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms. This fundamental difference in molecular structure gives silicone its unique properties that make it ideal for high-temperature cooking applications.