Pullman loaf pan; how do you use one?

[JustJoel]

My goal is to make a loaf that resembles the iconic Japanese shokupan, that soft, dense, slightly sweet and perfectly square loaf that is ubiquitous in Japanese kissaten. Indeed, I never saw a loaf of American style white bread when I was living in Japan.

On a whim (who needs perfectly square bread, anyway?) I bought a Pullman loaf pan. You know, it has a lid. I assume that one does the final proof with the lid closed, otherwise you couldn’t close the lid for baking. But I also imagine that one could place the proofed dough into the pan, press it down just a little, and the close the lid and bake.

Do any of youse have experience with a Pullman loaf pan? Please! Share!

 

[Katie H]

Pullman loaf also known as pain de mie is a wonderful dense bread that is perfect for sandwiches, especially grilled ones.

I have three pullman pans, one that is huge, a medium-sized one and one that is about half the size of the large one. I do a ratio conversion for my recipe to make the correct-sized dough for any of the pans.

For further instructions and information on this delightful and delicious bread, check out the very helpful folks at King Arthur Flour. If you have further questions, you can call their toll-free number and speak to a "resident baker."

 

[Janet H]

My advice is practice! A lot.

In my experience the final rise is done w/o the lid so getting the perfect volume of dough is critical. The dough should rise to just a little below the top edge. The oven spring will force the bread up into the lid. If the dough is already over the top of the pan before baking, you will have some super interesting results.

Here are my tips (learned the hard way).


If the second rise results in too much volume for the pan you can still bake the bread without the lid - it'll have a rounded top. No the end of the world.

Oil the lid - a lot.
You'll need to remove the lid after just baking. Since the bread sticks to the lid, use a potholder and jerk the lid off. Don't be timid - put some muscle into it.


You might read this blog post - it has some nice pics and tips.

Pain de Mie in a Pullman Pan

 

[JustJoel]

My advice is practice! A lot.

In my experience the final rise is done w/o the lid so getting the perfect volume of dough is critical. The dough should rise to just a little below the top edge. The oven spring will force the bread up into the lid. If the dough is already over the top of the pan before baking, you will have some super interesting results.

Here are my tips (learned the hard way).


If the second rise results in too much volume for the pan you can still bake the bread without the lid - it'll have a rounded top. No the end of the world.

Oil the lid - a lot.
You'll need to remove the lid after just baking. Since the bread sticks to the lid, use a potholder and jerk the lid off. Don't be timid - put some muscle into it.


You might read this blog post - it has some nice pics and tips.

Pain de Mie in a Pullman Pan

Thanks for the advice! And the laugh,

 

[JustJoel]

My advice is practice! A lot.

In my experience the final rise is done w/o the lid so getting the perfect volume of dough is critical. The dough should rise to just a little below the top edge. The oven spring will force the bread up into the lid. If the dough is already over the top of the pan before baking, you will have some super interesting results.

Here are my tips (learned the hard way).


If the second rise results in too much volume for the pan you can still bake the bread without the lid - it'll have a rounded top. No the end of the world.

Oil the lid - a lot.
You'll need to remove the lid after just baking. Since the bread sticks to the lid, use a potholder and jerk the lid off. Don't be timid - put some muscle into it.


You might read this blog post - it has some nice pics and tips.

Pain de Mie in a Pullman Pan

I’m adapting the recipe for a bread machine; I’m letting it take care of the rising. I found an instruction to do the final proof in the pan, but only let it rise to the level of the pan, then put the cover on (thanks for the oiling tip!) and bake it.

I wonder, after about half the expected baking time, if one could slide the lid just a peep to check the bread temp and color?

 

[Janet H]

I wonder, after about half the expected baking time, if one could slide the lid just a peep to check the bread temp and color?

No. Don't do it. resist the temptation.

If the bread has risen to touch the lid and you open it while the dough is tender, it may tear the soft-ish loaf and wreck your work.

 

[JustJoel]

I did, to check the temperature, after about 15 minutes. I put the lid back on, which may have been a mistake, as the top of the bread crisped more than I like.


I don’t know why, but when I try and post a photo, it shows up as HTML code. No matter.

 

[JustJoel]

No. Don't do it. resist the temptation.

If the bread has risen to touch the lid and you open it while the dough is tender, it may tear the soft-ish loaf and wreck your work.

How does one check the internal temperature, then? I’m not a good enough or experienced enough baker to be able to bake by intuition and the five senses, so I rely on my crutches: the bread machine, my scale, and my thermometer!