Do I need a specific pan for baking sourdough bread?
I have been following a recipe to make sourdough bread and a starter. The recipe said to cook the bread in a dutch oven or a cast iron casserole dish. Since I have neither, can I cook the bread in an ordinary loaf tin or some other utensil?
Best Answer
Bread can generally be baked in any pan, sourdough is no exception to this. Baking it in a covered dutch oven seals in moisture and keeps the crust from hardening, allowing maximum oven spring. You can achieve a similar effect by putting a pan of boiling water in the bottom of your oven for the first half of baking.
There's no reason you can't use a loaf tin, my main concern would be it sticking to the sides. To prevent this I would coat the sides of the dough that will touch with a generous layer of coarse wheat flour while it proves.
You can use other things as well, I don't have a casserole with a lid, but I do have some enameled cast iron pots. There are too deep to but the bread into without mangling the shape, so I invert it over a cookie sheet instead, then I remove it halfway through cooking.
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Quick Answer about "Do I need a specific pan for baking sourdough bread?"
Bread can generally be baked in any pan, sourdough is no exception to this. Baking it in a covered dutch oven seals in moisture and keeps the crust from hardening, allowing maximum oven spring. You can achieve a similar effect by putting a pan of boiling water in the bottom of your oven for the first half of baking.What pan Should I bake sourdough bread in?
I have found the cast iron bread pan to be the best pan for baking Sourdough because: the cast iron conducts the heat evenly and spreads it well. it allows for extreme heat and can be pre-heated empty. the shape allows the bread to expand upwards giving a good rise and structure.Can I bake sourdough bread without a Dutch oven?
Do you need a dutch oven to make sourdough bread? No, it is possible to make great sourdough without a dutch oven although using one can certainly make things a little easier. By using a baking stone and adding moisture to the oven, you can make bread that is just as good as those that use dutch ovens.What size pan do I need for sourdough bread?
A Dutch oven for baking sourdough should have a flat bottom, tightly sealing lid, and a capacity of 4-7 quarts (at least 4 times the size of the ball of bread dough) to ensure room for a good-sized loaf and space for the oven spring.Can I bake sourdough on a sheet pan?
If you don't own a Dutch oven, you can always bake the bread on a heavy baking sheet or pizza stone instead. Preheat it in the oven for 30 minutes before baking your bread. To create that steam, you'll need to preheat a metal rimmed baking pan under the baking sheet as well.How to Shape Sourdough Bread for a Loaf Pan
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Answer 2
If you don't have a dutch oven try roast pan with a lid. Works for me. Take the lid off the pan for the last 10-15 mins to brown the loaf.
Answer 3
In addition to @GdD's answer, using pan of boiling water you can even bake the bread on a baking tray (or a pizza stone if you have one). Make sure the bread is shaped well to avoid it spreading too much.
Answer 4
Any pot with lid will work as well or better than a dutch oven. As long as it can hold the dough and is oven-safe (no plastic parts, but almost all glass lids are oven-safe). There are a lot of myths in baking. The hot dutch oven myth is one of the most persistent. In reality you can use any lidded pot (no need to preheat it) and you can even start baking from a cold oven if you want.
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