Metal Cake Pan With Metal Lid

What Is The Standard Size For A Loaf Pan

The two most common loaf pan sizes are a 9 by 5-inch pan and an 8½ by 4½-inch pan. Both pans are generally about 2½ inches high. Even though the measurements might seem similar enough, that can equal up to a two-cup difference in volume, which will affect the shape of your final loaf. Its best to use the recommended pan based on your recipe.

Can You Bake Brownies In A Loaf Pan

You can bake brownies in a loaf pan, but youll need to scale the amount of batter to fit the pan size so you dont have overly thick brownies. For example, if your original recipe calls for an 8 or 9-inch square pan, about half of the batter will fit into an 8½ by 4½-inch pan. The bake time may be shorter than the original recipe calls for, and youll end up with a brownie that has more “edge” pieces than a standard brownie, which might be just what you’re looking for.

Safety Tips When Using Glass Baking Pans

Like any baking pan, glass-based ones come with lists of instructions and care, which can vary with brands.

This includes safety precautions that can ensure responsible use and prevent accidents.

Here are some you should follow if you use glass baking pans:

• Do not heat the pan higher than 350°F.
• If your glass is in the refrigerator, do not place it in a hot oven immediately. The drastic and fast change in temperature may shatter the glass otherwise.
• Do not place a cold glass pan on a wet or cold surface. Place it on a cooling rack or on a towel instead or the bottom may give out.
• Do not use the glass pan on a stove or in a toaster oven.
• Even if you empty the pan after taking it out of the oven, allow it to cool down before placing it in the sink or before soaking it.
• Do not scratch the glass pan with utensils. If it has a noticeable scratch or chip, it can expand and break your pan right inside the oven!
• Dont place the pan into a cold oven. Allow it to heat up before doing so or you will end up with undercooked food.
• If you are baking vegetables in the pan, add some water or vegetable stock to it beforehand. This will prevent it from sticking.
• Even if your glass pan came with a plastic lid, use it for storage use only. If you need to cover the pan while it is in the oven, use tinfoil.

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An Overview On Cake Pans

You wouldnt know it from the drama and flair that surrounds shows like Cupcake Wars and The Great British Bake-Off, but baking is a lot more science than art. You can measure your ingredients and set your timers perfectly every time, but theres still one variable many bakers forget to factor in: The bakeware.

A good cake pan isnt just a handy receptacle for holding that yummy batter. Its an element that can radically change the taste and look of your dish if the material, size, and even the color arent just right. So whats the best one to buy?

As with most kitchenware, it depends on what youre baking. Lets start with the material. Most cake pans are made of metal and theres a reason for that. Overall, they heat up as quickly as they cool down.

Mind you, not just any metal will do. Stainless steels durability and resistance to rust makes it a great material for skillets and sheet pans. But it conducts heat slowly relative to other metals, making it a cheaper choice for cake pans.

Aluminum, on the hand, heats up perfectly which may balance out the fact that its not as durable as a pure metal. It may also impart a funny taste to acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus. To mitigate that, look for higher-gauge aluminum pans or those made with anodized aluminum. This is aluminum thats been subjected to an electrolytic process that hardens the outer layer. Without getting into the science, it also makes it non-stick and non-reactive with acidic foods.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats

The original author of this piece, Bernadette Machard de Gramont, specializes in global food and wine content. She interviewed two culinary experts for this piece and grew up baking banana bread in Pyrex loaf pans. She has personally used the Wilton loaf pans and also loves her Le Creuset Heritage Loaf Pan for making quatre quarts.

Lindsay Boyers, a certified holistic nutritionist with extensive nutrition knowledge and cooking experience, tested the eight loaf pans for this roundup and updated it with her insights. She’s developed over 1,000 original recipes and is constantly on a mission to find the best cooking gadgets at the best prices to help make life in the kitchen more streamlined and efficient.

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Extend The Baking Time By 5

Baking with steam

If youre used to baking sourdough bread in a Dutch oven or in something like the Challenger Bread Pan, you might notice that bread baked in a loaf pan takes a little longer to bake.

For example, I usually bake my regular sourdough for 20 minutes with steam and 15 minutes without steam . This usually gets my sourdough bread to an internal temperature of 190dF or higher.

But, for my loaf pan sourdough breads, I usually need to let them bake for an additional 5-10 minutes at the end of the bake time to reach the same internal temperature. Part of this is due to baking at a lower temperature, but its also because the dough is somewhat blocked from the heat by the pan. So, dont be surprised if youre bread needs a few extra minutes to be fully baked.

To Avoid Your Loaf Ripping On The Sides Proof The Dough Longer Than Youd Expect

Avoid these rips with a longer final proof

My sandwich breads always used to rip somewhere along the side of the bread pan. I tried scoring the dough differently, but nothing seemed to keep the bread from ripping. Then, I realized what the problem was I wasnt proofing the dough for a long enough time.

When you bake sourdough bread in a loaf pan, the pan creates a natural weak spot in the dough along the edge of the pan. If your dough has A LOT of oven spring in the oven, it will most likely rip somewhere alongside the pan during the bake. So, to avoid your bread ripping on the sides, proof the dough longer during the final proof.

Assume your dough will rise a certain amount during the final proof and in the oven. Lets call this amount 100% risen. To keep your bread from ripping while it bakes, youll want to proof the dough until its about 90% risen. Then when you put it in the oven, it will only have about 10% left to rise. In theory, the small amount of rise wont be enough to cause the bread to rip. It will just puff up to its full extent, and then stop leaving you with a perfectly risen loaf of sourdough bread.

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What To Know About Loaf Pans

The main differences between loaf pans are the material they are made of and the size.

• Loaf pans can be made of aluminized steel, with or without various nonstick coatings, cast-iron, glass, ceramic and silicone.
• Different materials affect the cooking in different ways metal will cook faster but can give a darker crust on baked goods, especially darker metals. Glass and ceramic are great heat conductors which can cause naked good with lots of sugar to get darker than youd like.
• A real advantage of glass and ceramic is that they are great for storing leftovers and can be pretty enough to go right from oven to table.
• Silicone is great for its nonstick properties you dont even have to grease or flour but it doesnt brown well, so if youre looking for that golden crust, this is not the material for you.
• As far as size, most pans are either 9-by-5 inches or 8 1/2-by-4 1/2 inches. There is very little difference between the two sizes, but a 9-by 5-inch pan may cook a little more quickly so set the timer to a few minutes before the recipe calls for and check.

Jill Novatt

The Cake Pan Buying Guide

• If youre baking traditional cakes, you want a pan with a little edge. And were not talking edge as in attitude. Flared or tapered tops might be fine if youre baking bread or muffin-type dishes that meant to rise and puff out, but its not much good for cakes or anything you need to decorate around the sides. Most bakers prefer straight sides that come up at a right angle.
• Most kitchens will have more than one cake pan. If storage is tight, look for sets of pans that can nest one inside the other, making it easier to save space.

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When Should You Use Glass Baking Pans

Glass does not conduct heat well but it distributes it evenly. Once the temperature gets high enough, it starts to warm up slowly but surely. Plus, it remains warm for a while when you take it out of the oven.

This can be quite useful if you are making casseroles or braises. Thats because these need to remain as warm as possible when they are taken out.

However, dont use glass baking pans if you want to broil food since it may shatter. The same should be the case for any recipe that requires high amounts of heat. One such example is direct heat from a stovetop. While some glass pans can be used in these situations, it is better to be safe than sorry.

So if you want to make gravy on the stove, do not use a glass pan. Otherwise, you may have to transfer the contents of the pan to a pot first before making the sauce. Do you really want to fill your sink with more dirty dishes than you need?

Of course, this doesnt mean that glass baking pans cannot benefit you at all.

Some of the benefits of using a glass baking pan include the following:

When Should You Use Metal Baking Pans

Metal baking pans, such as aluminum, are great at conducting heat. But these also cool down fast and easily as well. Use these pans if you want to heat up food quickly or when you want to bake sweet treats.

Unlike glass baking pans, metal pans are available in several types for both residential and commercial use.

Some of them include the following:

Anodized Aluminum pans

Anodized aluminum baking pans are non-reactive and light in color. Plus, they are great if you want to get a nice bottom crust and no wrinkles.

The pan reflects heat rather than absorbing it. Plus, the special aluminum retains optimal baking temperatures for the perfect cook.

The two types of anodized aluminum pans you can get include:

• Silver anodized pan: This aluminum pan is treated to make its outer surface hard and thus scratch/stick-resistant. The process also prevents the bakeware from peeling, rusting or blistering. It also allows it to conduct heat fast and evenly. So if you use it, you may have to reduce cooking time to ensure your food doesnt burn.
• Hard anodized pan: Hard anodized bakeware is quite similar to the silver variety. The only difference is that it is treated for longer periods of time for a hard finish. That is why it is ten times thicker than other metal pans. These are darker so they can brown meat faster compared to lighter pans.

However, even though these pans are scratch-resistant, that doesnt mean you should go to town on them with every utensil.

Stainless Steel Pans

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Cleaning Tips For Glass Baking Pans

• Use non-scratch pads or a soft sponge to clean glass baking pans. Scratchy pads can damage it, which can lead to breakage. Remove tough crusted stains by soaking the fish in warm water first before scrubbing. This will loosen the crust and make the pan squeaky clean at the same time.
• Clean the pan with baking soda and dish soap to remove grease stains. Sprinkle the soda all over the bottom of the pan with a bit of the soap and soak it in warm water. Scrub with a sponge after 15 minutes.

You Can Bake At A Lower Temperature

Finally, you can bake at a lower temperature when youre baking in a loaf pan. Since the goal with pan bread is usually a slightly soft sandwich loaf, lower temperatures will produce a softer crust in your bread which will be easier to slice through.

So, instead of cranking your oven all the way up to 500°F, you can successfully bake your sourdough bread at 425° or 450°F if youre using a loaf pan. This is great for people whose ovens dont reach high temperatures consistently, and for people who dont want overheat their home while baking especially in the summer!

OK. Now, lets get into the specifics on how you should shape your sourdough bread when using a loaf pan. Heres a quick tutorial.

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Laser Engraved Cake Pan & Lid

Our personalized Doughmakers® personalized cake tins come in your choice of 4 great colors in our textured coating plus your choice from our library of 100 design options. We will personalize your lid and engrave your name on the side of your new Doughmakers® personalized cake tin to keep your lid and pan matched up.

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