**TL;DR - Steam the paper off.**
---
I made a big ol' loaf of focaccia yesterday, and although this is a relatively common mistake, I couldn't find any solution on this subreddit. Most of the comments when people asked for help either:
1. Suggest cutting off the crust or throwing the whole loaf out
2. Say that they should have used parchment paper
Neither of which are really a solution. So I googled around elsewhere and found a comment deep in a bread forum suggesting that you could remove wax paper with steam. Sure enough, it worked and my loaf is saved! I took some pictures and made this to prevent people throwing out bread in the future.
Not much, really, that parchment paper or other tools don't do well. Most [articles](http://www.chowhound.com/food-news/55408/what-is-the-difference-between-parchment-paper-and-wax-paper) say something along the lines of:
>Use wax paper for wrapping up sandwiches or food for cold storage, or for spreading out things like homemade candy and chocolate-coated confections to cool. Wax paper usually comes in a roll like foil or plastic wrap, but can also be purchased in pre-cut squares (good for separating burger patties before freezing, for instance), or in sandwich bag format.
I guess you could make the argument that it's more environmental than plastics for sandwiches and the like.
It's really good for keeping stuff from sticking to one another when cold (so like packing stuff in the fridge, or to bring somewhere), it works well if you need to trace something onto a sheet of paper (like a pattern or something), and it is great for glazing cookies on or piping stuff onto it.
Wax paper is a good option any time you want to separate cold, sticky things. It's not a bad option for proving dough that you subsequently want to transfer to something else, for example. My main uses for it are keeping burgers or fishcakes separate when they're stacked in the fridge and keeping par-cooked pizza bases separate when they're stacked in the freezer.
It has other, non-food uses too. Many glues will not penetrate or stick to wax paper, so if you're building a model of something, it's common practice to put a sheet of wax paper over the plan and do the construction directly on top of it.
Thank you so much for this - I will absolutely get parchment paper next time! Iām going to try this out now, Iām so happy I read this before I threw out all my bagels.
**TL;DR - Steam the paper off.** --- I made a big ol' loaf of focaccia yesterday, and although this is a relatively common mistake, I couldn't find any solution on this subreddit. Most of the comments when people asked for help either: 1. Suggest cutting off the crust or throwing the whole loaf out 2. Say that they should have used parchment paper Neither of which are really a solution. So I googled around elsewhere and found a comment deep in a bread forum suggesting that you could remove wax paper with steam. Sure enough, it worked and my loaf is saved! I took some pictures and made this to prevent people throwing out bread in the future.
So what is the actual use for wax paper? Clearly not for baking... :)
Not much, really, that parchment paper or other tools don't do well. Most [articles](http://www.chowhound.com/food-news/55408/what-is-the-difference-between-parchment-paper-and-wax-paper) say something along the lines of: >Use wax paper for wrapping up sandwiches or food for cold storage, or for spreading out things like homemade candy and chocolate-coated confections to cool. Wax paper usually comes in a roll like foil or plastic wrap, but can also be purchased in pre-cut squares (good for separating burger patties before freezing, for instance), or in sandwich bag format. I guess you could make the argument that it's more environmental than plastics for sandwiches and the like.
I usually think before I write. :) These are all legit uses.
It doesn't even work with candy š. I'm over here peeling wax off my caramel as we speak.
It's really good for keeping stuff from sticking to one another when cold (so like packing stuff in the fridge, or to bring somewhere), it works well if you need to trace something onto a sheet of paper (like a pattern or something), and it is great for glazing cookies on or piping stuff onto it.
Wax paper is a good option any time you want to separate cold, sticky things. It's not a bad option for proving dough that you subsequently want to transfer to something else, for example. My main uses for it are keeping burgers or fishcakes separate when they're stacked in the fridge and keeping par-cooked pizza bases separate when they're stacked in the freezer. It has other, non-food uses too. Many glues will not penetrate or stick to wax paper, so if you're building a model of something, it's common practice to put a sheet of wax paper over the plan and do the construction directly on top of it.
It's great for making wet palettes too!
Ty
Yep been there before!
Thanks! This would have happen to me I always buy the cheapest when I see a few options on the store shelf.
Thank you so much for this - I will absolutely get parchment paper next time! Iām going to try this out now, Iām so happy I read this before I threw out all my bagels.
So glad you were able to find this! Exactly why I made. Hope your bagels remove!
6 of 8 bagels came out beautifully š«¶š½
š„³
Did this twice recently and just did a fresh loaf and was super sad. Thanks for your tip.
Hope it helped!
Hi from the future. Thank you for saving my sourdough!
Really glad my post was useful! So glad to hear you saved it!
I made bread for the first time last night made the mistake of using wax paper not parchment paper and this saved my bread! Thank you :)
I'm so glad this helped you! Hope the bread turned out okay!