Purchased a 9x4x4" pullman loaf pan but I feel it's width is too small, is this actually a standard size?

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erotavlas on 4 Dec 2025 at 19:05

I recently purchased a USA Pan Pullman loaf pan with the cover because for one, I wanted a loaf pan with deeper sides, most are between 2 and 3 inches but this is 4".  Also I wanted one with a cover because I wanted to try baking a square shaped loaf. 

So anyway when it arrived today I was a bit underwhelmed to see it in person because of the size. The length is ok, but the width I feel is too small.  Compared to a normal sandwich loaf that you buy in the store this is half an inch to one inch skinnier. I wish there was a version of this that was 4.5" x 4.5" at least or even 5" x 5". That would be a perfect size square loaf.

I looked for many different other pullman loaf pans with cover and most are non stick, this was the only one I could find that doesn't have any non stick (PTFE, PFAS etc) coating.  

The large size version of this pan is not really an option because it has the exact same width and height except it is just 4 inches longer at 13" which I don't want.  

What do you guys think?  Will the loaf size be ok?  
Does anyone know of any other alternative to this pan that is slightly larger?  

As an alternative to pullman pan, I can use two normal loaf pans where one is placed on top  inverted as a lid to trap the steam, but of course it won't be square.  Or if anyone know of a way to cover a regular loaf pan with something to simulate a pullman pan cover? 

4 X 4 is a standard size, in the US anyway.  We have a bakery/restaurant nearby that bakes their own Pullman loaves and theirs is 4 X 4.  Chefmade also makes a 4 X 4. This style of pan is also called a "toast box" by some vendors.

Here's a post on Wordloaf about Pullman pans -

https://newsletter.wordloaf.org/size-matters/

It mentions a pan made by Rackmaster.  That pan is now called a "Campbell" but it seems to be the same pan.  It has a cross-section of 4.7 X 4.7 in.  It's 14 in. long, though, so quite large -

https://pleasanthillgrain.com/campbells-jumbo-pullman-bread-pan

The taller the pan, the more likely that the top will sink and the sides might keyhole too, especially with highly enriched breads. Benito's bakes (many are on TFL) with a 4 X 4 show that a great loaf can be made with them.

TomP

You can put a sheet of parchment over the loaf pan and place a cookie sheet on it, as long as the sheet is heavy enough. Any flat, ovenproof object will work. A casserole bowl, if it's big enough--and it could be filled with water for added weight.

I prefer the taste and texture of bread baked at higher temperatures, so I like the smaller-cross-section pans. Heat penetrates through them more easily, giving a more consistent "bake through". This allows you to bake at higher temperatures (for a shorter time) without burning the crust. You can't do that with larger geometry loaves; you have to bake for longer at a lower temperature for it bake through. That slow, uneven baking is what opens the door for what tpassin described (top sinking, etc.).

If you want a taller loaf, you might try the cast aluminum pans from Russia/Ukraine, which are tall with a narrower bottom. This shape (and material) gives the better heat penetration at the bottom where it is most needed.

400-425ºF . Since my 9x4x4 Pullmans (and the 3.5x3.5x7 ones too) are black-painted steel (the so-called nonstick coating), and I mostly bake in countertop electric ovens with exposed elements, I do have to be careful about the bottom burning from absorbing the radiant from the nearby heating rods. The 4x4x13 is aluminum-colored (and aluminized steel) and is fine. This is not an issue in a convection oven.

Time is :35 - :45, depending on the dough density (less for whites, more for rye/multigrains).

My 4X4X9 Pullman is also aluminum colored (it's the USA Pans model). I recently dropped the countertop oven temperature setting to 380ºF. Usually it takes 30 minutes, plus 5 more out of the pan. The oven does a fine job baking, although tops can get a little unevenly browned since the loaf top is close to the upper heating element.

9x4x4 equals 2.35 l, that's more than enough volume for most regular-sized breads, except maybe for sandwich bread, but there you want extra length, not extra girth.

I use USA 9x4 Pullman pans for my daily loaves. I bake multiple loaves at a time with the raw dough weight of about 30.90 ounces, with 45% whole wheat flour. This gives a good shape for daily use. I can go a little higher in dough weight with more whole grain flour.

Here's a picture of the profile of a loaf.

Dave

Thanks!

I found some USA pans in a "scratch and dent" bin a couple of years ago. The only problem with the Pullman pans was tight fitting lids. Fixed easily with a pair of pliers. At $10 a piece I was very happy!

Dave 

Just FYI, here's a pic showing the three loaf pans mentioned above. From left to right:

: The typical 9x5 American loaf pan, this one from USA Pan. Chicago Metallic's is the same size.

: A 9x4x4 Pullman, the subject of this thread

: A Russian/Ukrainian "L7" cast-aluminum loaf pan