The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

New to breadmaking....need help on loaf pans

dwiggin3's picture
dwiggin3

New to breadmaking....need help on loaf pans

I just baked my first loaf of homemade bread and have fallen in love with the kneeding and texture of the bread. However, my bread pan is in a sad state. It's your generic non-stick from Walmart but its like the bottom and sides have rusted. Something is stuck on the metal. I've tried soaking it in hot water and washing in the dishwasher. I will admit that sometimes I've let it soak and forgotten about it and gone back to it in a day or so, and it leaves a rust-like mark on my stainless sink. Have I missed something when it comes to how to clean/store/use breadpans?

 thanks.

verminiusrex's picture
verminiusrex

I'd go with Chicago Metallic bread pans, which I got at Bed Bath and Beyond.  Spray the sides and bottom with nonstick spray before baking, hand wash and dry the pans after use.  They should last many years, and are worth the investment.

sphealey's picture
sphealey

I am sorry to say that you have correctly diagnosed the problem: your loaf pans have rusted. And in my experience once loaf pans have rusted the best that can be done is to convert them to herb planters. There is no way to cure the rust and no way to restore the coating or surface finish even if you grind the rust off.

However, I can also report that Linens & Things carries the Faberware heavy-duty loaf pans for a reasonable price; they work quite well and seem impervious to rust. They are made out of steel but apparently they have some sort of coating on them which is thick and in my experience doesn't nick. I recently bought 2 more of them for a total of four so IMHO they work.

Otherwise you can go with All-Clad titanium clad aluminum pans, but those are out of my price range ;-(

sPh

JERSK's picture
JERSK

   T-Fal makes pretty good loaf pans, reasonable price. Flexible silicon pans are available now also. non-stick, no chance of rust there, and good browning I am told. Pyrex won't rust either, but don't have real good heating and might stick some. They are an alternative though.

dwiggin3's picture
dwiggin3

I figured as much. Herb gardens it is.

 As far as cleaning future pans, do you recomend not using a dishwasher or should I just be more carefull when soaking them to not let them rust? Hrmp...

 thanks for the conformation.

sphealey's picture
sphealey

I actually have taken to not washing my loaf pans very much. I give them a light spray of Mazola Olive Oil + Lecithin spray before I put the dough in. I find that the loaves pop out nicely and the pans are clean - maybe needing a quick wipe with a towel. Then back into the cupboard.

If they are crusted or dirty I put the Faberware ones in the dishwasher, but my Chicago Metallics I wash by hand as they can rust and the dishwasher accelerates rust like nobody's business.

sPh

bonnie1345's picture
bonnie1345

I wipe them out while still hot with a towel, all the crustyness and foods comes off. I brush my pans prior to putting dough in with a mixture I make and keep in a jar: 1/2 cup lethicin and 1 cup oil, I brush on with a pastery brush and the loaves just fall out of the pan, I wipe out the pans while hot and they appear clean but they are less apt to stick next round of baking.

Bonnie