# Anyone use a KA Italian loaf pan?



## tenspeed (Feb 25, 2018)

I stumbled across this and it looks interesting.  Wondering if anyone has used one.



https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/italian-loaf-pan


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## msmofet (Feb 25, 2018)

I got (a double loaf) one awhile back but still haven't used it.


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## Katie H (Feb 25, 2018)

I've had both pans for years and love them.  They've gotten so nicely "aged" and perform beautifully.

As an endorsement, I made a couple of baguettes for a friend as a gift.  She looked at the bottoms of the loaves and asked me where I bought them.  Told her I made them.  She was amazed.

My pans have such a lovely patina and I use them regularly.


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## tenspeed (Feb 25, 2018)

Katie H said:


> I've had both pans for years and love them.  They've gotten so nicely "aged" and perform beautifully.
> 
> As an endorsement, I made a couple of baguettes for a friend as a gift.  She looked at the bottoms of the loaves and asked me where I bought them.  Told her I made them.  She was amazed.
> 
> My pans have such a lovely patina and I use them regularly.


  What kind of crust do you get?  I'm hoping to get a fairly hard crust, like the baguettes they have in pricey sandwich shops.  Looking at the dimensions, I think the baguette pan might be too narrow, but a short loaf in the Italian loaf pan might be what I'm looking for.  To clarify, the loaf would be sliced horizontally.  There is a local bakery that makes sandwiches from a 6" long section of a baguette sliced horizontally, and I would love to duplicate it at home.


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## Whiskadoodle (Feb 25, 2018)

Doesn't the crispy crumb crust you are looking for depend on the recipe used to a greater extent?  

i think I read some recipe that  one sprinkles water on the top of the loaf at some point while the bread bakes,  or maybe they set a pan of water on a lower oven shelf, or maybe that's for bolillos or  maybe I dis-remember altogether.

google Images  up some French   bread pans, baguette pans, and compare with the Italian pan you are looking at.  Katie sounds like she knows from experience, as compared to moi,  who's only vested interest is I like the same kind of sandwich you like.


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## Katie H (Feb 25, 2018)

tenspeed said:


> What kind of crust do you get?  I'm hoping to get a fairly hard crust, like the baguettes they have in pricey sandwich shops.  Looking at the dimensions, I think the baguette pan might be too narrow, but a short loaf in the Italian loaf pan might be what I'm looking for.  To clarify, the loaf would be sliced horizontally.  There is a local bakery that makes sandwiches from a 6" long section of a baguette sliced horizontally, and I would love to duplicate it at home.




I get a lovely crust.  Certainly professional quality.

As a matter of fact, a couple of years ago I made more than 100 loaves for a friend as a fundraiser item.  The folks begged for them.

I made those loaves in about 10 days' time.  There were days when our dining room table looked like it had bread stacked cord wood-style.

The larger pan makes nice-sized loaves.  The one with 3 compartments, obviously, makes smaller loaves resulting in more crust than bread.

Depending on what I want, I'll choose the 2-loaf one or the 3-loaf one.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 25, 2018)

I love the pans, for the same reasons as Katie.


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## Cooking Goddess (Feb 26, 2018)

Whiskadoodle said:


> ...i think I read some recipe that  one sprinkles water on the top of the loaf at some point while the bread bakes,  or maybe they *set a pan of water on a lower oven shelf*, or maybe that's for bolillos or  maybe I dis-remember altogether....


Your remember-er remembered OK, *Whisk*. According to James Beard in his "Beard on Bread" book, you put a pan of water in the oven. The one time I thought to do this I don't remember the crust as being extra crisp, though. Maybe my remember-er isn't working.


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## tenspeed (Feb 26, 2018)

Katie and PF, thanks for the comments.  I think I'll have to order one.

The bakery is only 5 miles away, and it is probably less time for me to go buy a baguette than to make one, but there is something about making it yourself that is appealing.


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