Can you bake with freezer paper? (1 Extraordinary substitute)
In this brief guide, we will answer the question, can you bake with freezer paper? We will discuss the reason to avoid using freezer paper in baking and the consequences that using it can have. We will elaborate on the kinds of paper that are safe for baking.
Can you bake with freezer paper?
You can not bake with freezer paper. Like wax paper, freezer paper has a layer of plastic or wax that would melt if you bake with it. If you put freezer paper in the oven or subject it to heat, then it would melt and cause a mess.
You can use freezer paper for your baking needs. To roll cookie dough or knead bread dough, freezer paper makes a good option.
To use freezer paper to prepare dough for baking, lay the freezer paper with the waxed side up and the paper side down.
The plastic or the waxed side of freezer paper prevents the dough from sticking to the paper and hence makes the process easier.
What paper can you use for baking?
Parchment paper is the only kind of paper that can be safely put in the oven, unlike wax paper and freezer paper.
As parchment paper does not have a layer of plastic or wax on it, it is not sensitive to a high temperature. Parchment paper is lined with silicone which makes it non-stick and resistant to moisture loss.
There are two kinds of parchment paper that you can buy from the supermarket; bleached and unbleached.
Bleached parchment paper is found in white color while unbleached parchment paper is brown. Bleached parchment paper has a glistening surface because it is treated with chlorine.
Another kind of paper that can be used for baking is called silpat paper. Silpat paper or silicone baking mats are used by professional bakers because they last longer even though they cost more than what parchment paper does.
Silpat paper can be cleaned and reused. It can withstand high temperatures and hence does not deteriorate and can be used over and over again hundreds of times.
Silpat paper also has a non-stick surface. It does not need to be greased and won’t stick to your food. Silpat paper would save you money in the long run.
What do you use freezer paper for?
Freezer paper is meant to be used in the freezer. To store meat and fish, freezer paper makes an excellent option as it helps to prevent freezer burns. Even butchers use freezer paper instead of plastic releasable bags to store meat and fish.
A freezer paper has a layer that is coated with wax, which is the part that stays in contact with food. The other surface of freezer paper is smooth just like regular paper.
If you want to store meat for longer than two months, then you can overwrap the package with freezer paper to help retain freshness for longer. Also, the layer of plastic on the freezer paper prevents the meat juices from flowing out of the packaging.
Freezer paper can also be used to cover the cheese and store it in the refrigerator or freezer, the freezer paper does not deprive cheese of air or suffocate it either, hence preventing it from drying out.
What would happen if you bake using freezer paper?
Depending on how you place the freezer paper in the oven, it is possible that the freezer paper might melt the side that holds plastic.
If the plastic melts off, it can create a mess and ruin your baking for you.
It can also cause inconvenience for you as freezer paper can adhere to your baked item. It can make it difficult to separate your baked bread or any other item from the layer of freezer paper.
What happens to the freezer paper inside the oven depends on the temperature that it is exposed to. If the temperature is not high enough for the layer of plastic to melt, then the molecules of BPA would make their way into your food and make it carcinogenic.
It is not safe to expose your food to heated plastic molecules as it can potentially be toxic to health.
The worst-case scenario that might happen if you put freezer paper in the oven is that it might catch fire. At 480 Fahrenheit, the plastic may ignite and wreak havoc for you.
Other FAQs about Baking that you may be interested in.
Can you bake with freezer paper? (1 Extraordinary substitute)
Can you bake two pumpkin pies at once? (7 Things to Watch out for)
Can you bake ready-made graham cracker crust? (3 reasons to do so)
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question, can you bake with freezer paper? We discussed the reason to avoid using freezer paper in baking and the consequences that using it can have. We elaborated on the kinds of paper that are safe for baking.
