If you have a bread pan, it can be an indispensable kitchen tool for baking delicious loaves of bread. You’ll learn how to bake bread without a loaf pan in this tutorial.
But when you are looking for a specific type of bread, the shape isn’t always as important as the flavor and the texture. For example, a thin crusty, chewy white sandwich bread with a light taste will work just as well as a thick slice of white bread.
It’s time to get creative and think outside the loaf pan when making bread. You don’t need loaf pans to make bread – not at all!
Here are some baking tips for you to try. You may have already tried some of them, but I’ve included them here just in case you haven’t tried them yet.
Boules (aka Round Loaves)
The first thing you should remember when making homemade bread without a loaf pan is that it’s not meant to be perfectly rectangular. It should be more like a round loaf shape.
A loaf of bread that is round in shape.
This book will teach you how to shape loaves in a traditional style, from mixing dough to baking the loaves.
To prepare your bread dough, you’ll need to prepare a sheet pan. Line it with parchment paper. Allow your bread dough to rise once. Then, divide it into pieces and let them grow into their final size.
Place the sheet tray in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the loaves have turned golden brown.
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Place the sheet tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the sheet tray from the oven and brush the boules and tops of the dough with beaten eggs. Then return the sheet tray to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the breads are golden brown.
Brush the dough with the egg wash, and bake it in a high heat oven following your bread recipe. Let the bread cool completely before slicing and then enjoy warm!
The best soups are made in a round or dome shape. You can’t make a soup this way in a loaf pan.
Baguettes
Baguettes are long, thin, and sometimes shaped into crescents or twists. They are usually baked without a loaf pan, and they are perfect for sandwiches, toast, and salads.
Baguettes are easy to make once you’ve made a few. They’re perfect for a quick snack, and you’ll want to bake them all the time once you try them.
Place the risen dough in a floured bowl and roll it out into a rough round about the size of your baking sheet. Carefully remove the dough from the bowl, place it on the baking sheet and then cover the pan with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
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This recipe for baguettes is very easy to follow. Begin rolling the dough out into a rectangle shape, moving your hands up and down as you do. Move forward and back, left and right, until you have a nice, long baguette.
Roll out your dough to 1/8 of an inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Make as many designs as you like, but just remember that the thinner the dough, the more delicate the shape will be.
Bake the baguette, slice and serve warm. Maybe serve with a nice cheese plate or as a side to a saucy pasta. Use the bread to soak up the sauce.
Braids
If you want a big, thick loaf, you can simply braiding your bread dough. This will make a nice, wide loaf that’s a lot prettier than anything a loaf pan can produce.
You’ll have to buy a few simple tools that you’ll find in any home improvement store.
Place the dough in a large bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise until it’s doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch it down to deflate and then divide it into 3 equal pieces.
Roll each dough piece into a long log, keeping the width of each log the same. If you keep the width of each dough log the same, you’ll end up with one long hot dog, just like I suggested.
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Make a log of dough about 18 inches long by 6 inches wide. Gently pinch the top end of the log together and braiding the dough, pick up one end at a time, cross it over the other, and place it down. Repeat the process until you have braided the entire log of dough into a braid.
This is a great, quick, easy and inexpensive way to make your own homemade bread. If you like, you can brush it with egg wash and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar before baking.
Close to Rectangular
Yes, it can. If you use a regular loaf pan, you can cut the loaf into four equal pieces and put them in a regular loaf pan. The only trick to this recipe is to use a baking sheet rather than a loaf pan, because a baking sheet is flat.
You’ll never get that perfectly straight side on your hair without a flat iron, but you can get close.
Begin by making a pre-risen bread dough. Sprinkle some flour on the work surface and place the dough on it. Roll the dough out until it’s a rectangle.
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Roll the dough to be about 1/2 inch thick, and make it as even and square as possible.
Roll the dough into a long cylinder, and then pinch the seam to seal it.
Place the bread on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the bread is light brown.
You don’t have to be a master baker to bake a perfect loaf of bread. Just follow these easy steps and your loaf of bread will be ready in no time.
Quick Breads
Quick breads are usually made with quick-cooking ingredients, such as white flour, sugar, and margarine, so the dough will not rise as much as a bread that is made with yeast.
You can’t shape batter the same way you shape dough because you can’t get the same results. But what can you do when you don’t have a loaf pan but a bowl full of banana bread?
It takes longer to bake the bread batter but it also makes for a better loaf. Plus, everyone gets their own “slice” in the form of a muffin.
You can bake quick breads in a cake pan for a nice round loaf, or you can use a casserole dish to make a longer, thinner bread.
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When baking with a casserole dish, remember that the baking time will be shorter if you’re using a larger pan.
Got a cast iron skillet? Pour your quick bread batter into it and bake it in the oven. The bread will turn out perfectly round!
Bundt pans are an excellent way to bake delicious, moist breads. They make any bread recipe easier and faster.
You don’t have to use a loaf pan to bake quick breads. There are many other pans that can be used instead, and you can get creative and make your quick breads more interesting.
Loaf pans are very helpful and, if you like the uniform look, you may want to get one. However, do you really need it? In fact, your bread will be more artisanal without a loaf pan.
Instead of using a loaf pan, simply use a cookie sheet. It’s easier to use and makes for an equally delicious dessert.