Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?
I've got my first-ever snow day today (in grad school, no less) and I really want to bake bread. I even have a recipe in mind. The problem is that the recipe makes two loaves, and one step involves letting the unbaked loaves rise in the pans. Since I moved, my bread pans have been MIA. Can I still make bread, or should I pick something else?
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14 Comments:
Just make free form loaves (round, oval, braids, etc.) and bake on cookie sheets.
You house will smell sooo good and the family will thank you. ;o)
CJ McD at 12:09PM on 10/29/09
Unless the dough is really wet and needs a pan to hold shape, you should be fine with freeform loaves. Other options would be to turn your bread recipe into rolls, find similar sized pans, or even oven-proof skillets, and bake in those.
Good luck, it's way to early for snow days though!
bobcatsteph3 at 12:14PM on 10/29/09
Tell me about it. We have at least 1.5 feet of snow! I'll let you know how the bread baking goes.
Skythe at 12:26PM on 10/29/09
I'm not a baker, but I do know our bakery department bakes all of the bread without pans. Just free form oval and long loafs. So it can certainly be done.
Good luck!
phenoderr at 12:48PM on 10/29/09
O sure! Have fun shaping your loaves. (The result is so much more delightful, if you ask me, than the more generic looking ones that you end up with if using bread pans).
Onepot at 2:17PM on 10/29/09
I assume you're talking about baguettes or boules? Yes, they can definitely be done without pans. I'm partial to braids, myself!
therealchiffonade at 2:24PM on 10/29/09
And Jim Lahey's no knead bread is baked in a pre-heated dutch oven, should you need to replicate.
tatianak at 2:27PM on 10/29/09
Are you in Denver? I have a "snow day" too, but unfortunately that just means working from home. Enjoy the bread- I went with the chocolate chip cookie route last night.
Embackus at 3:19PM on 10/29/09
I'm not enjoying this early snow, myself. I had to go out in it yesterday and today.
As far as bread goes, I seldom use a pan. I've probably used my bread pans for pound cake more often than I've used them for bread.
dbcurrie at 5:07PM on 10/29/09
if you gently pull the dough downward and tuck it under, you can create lots of surface tension, which will help hold the shape and make the bread crustier.
cybercita at 9:53PM on 10/29/09
I made cinnamon bread, a family tradition when cold weather starts (from Joy of Cooking). My loaves were a little misshapen and, um "rustic" looking, but my fiance and I have already chowed through one.
That being said, there is too much snow on my porch for October, and I object.
Skythe at 12:00AM on 10/30/09
I baked tons of bread before finally purchasing my first bread tin this fall. I usually split it into two pieces, gently shape them into oblong mounds and let them rise on a cookie sheet. Call them "artisan" or "rustic"! :-)
ec_washington at 5:24PM on 10/30/09
Here's a link to a hand rolled loaf:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=53134642&l=a1fb02f140&id=13925965
and some cute little rolls I tried:
http://kitchendreamer.blogspot.com/2009/10/mm-breads.html
ec_washington at 5:25PM on 10/30/09
No snow down here (Seattle), but it's been flaky up in the mountains. I have only two bread pans. When I make bread (especially raisin bread), I double or triple the recipe to make six loaves. I've used casseroles, double layers of heavy duty aluminum foil formed into a pan shape, a pizza stone that hasn't been preheated, cookie sheets, cake pans, whatever's handy.
I like the crustiness of free-form bread. If you don't take baked bread out of the pan immediately, the crust tends to be moist.
betteirene at 4:38PM on 10/31/09