what is the difference between a loaf pan and a bread pan

If your quick breads are short and squat instead of rising high, your pan may be to blame. While loaf pan sizes may seem insignificant, the pan volume can make all the difference. Hey, baker! Come on over to Bakeable, our online baking community, where you’ll find our best tips and top-rated recipes. Then, share your bakes in our

A bread pan, also called a loaf pan, is a kitchen utensil in the form of a container in which bread is baked. Its function is to shape bread while it is rising during baking. The most common shape of the bread pan is the loaf, or narrow rectangle, a convenient form that enables uniform slicing.

Use the Right Size for Best Results

The two most popular bread pan sizes are 9×5 and 8½x4½ inches. Both sizes are typically 2½ inches tall. While the difference in sizes seems small, it actually equals a 15% difference in capacity. That can really affect the outcome of your bake—especially in quick breads and those that use less than three cups of flour.

If your recipe calls for a 8½x4½-inch pan and you use a 9×5, your bread could fall flat instead of properly rising. On the other hand, if your recipe calls for a 9×5 and you use a 8½x4½, your batter may overflow and burn in the oven!

If you dont have the right size pan for your recipe, heres how to adapt baking recipes so you can use the pans you already have in your kitchen.

Common Loaf Pan Sizes

Demystifying Loaf Pans: Sizes, shapes, and bread type uses

FAQ

What is the best type of pan to cook bread in?

What pan can I use if I don’t have a loaf pan?

What is the difference between 9×5 and 8×4 loaf pans?

Why use a loaf pan?

What’s the difference between a bread pan and a loaf pan?

Both of these bread pans are generally 2 1/2″ tall; sometimes, they’re interchangeably referred to as a “loaf pan.” That 1/2″ difference on each side may not seem like a big distinction — viewed alone, these bread pans are hard to tell apart. Side by side, you’ll notice the slight size variation.

Is a yeast loaf pan the same as a quick bread pan?

Most quick bread recipes (such as banana bread) are written for 9″ x 5″ x 2 3/4″ pans, which is slightly larger than a yeast bread loaf pan. These pans, though similar in size and shape, are not interchangeable. Using a yeast loaf pan for a quick bread recipe may result in batter overflowing the pan.

What size loaf pan do I Need?

In many cases, it means the difference between a nicely domed bread loaf and one that’s barely managed to crest the rim of the pan. So if a bread recipe calls for an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan, as many yeasted sandwich breads do, it’s important to use that exact size. (9″ x 5″ pans, meanwhile, are often used for quick breads.)

What size bread pan should I bake a single loaf?

If it’s 100% whole-grain, it should bake nicely in the smaller bread pan. If it’s a combination whole-grain and white — again, best to select the larger bread pan. A single-loaf recipe using at least 3 3/4 cups flour — white, whole-grain, or a combination — should be baked in the larger 9″ x 5″ bread pan.