Help! I don’t have a Dutch oven, bread loaf pan, or that special tool! No worries, read below to learn some alternative ways for preparing and baking bread to perfection.
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
I get it. Kitchen equipment is expensive. Having every size, shape and style of pan or pot in your kitchen is impossible. You may have a small budget for such things, you may be in a rental with limited space, you may simply like to live a minimalist life. No shame in that.
Personal Vignette
I moved a lot in my younger years. If you haven’t read the About Me page, I will just quickly tell you I was in the U.S. Army for 22 years. I moved every three years on average. I just could not have a fully kitted kitchen with every gadget and appliance. It was not practical.
I fried my Hair Dryer!
Also, I spent a lot of years in Europe where American appliances are just useless because Europe has 220 volt power instead of 110 volt that we have in America. Basically, what that means is American appliances burn out when plugged into a European socket. (Yes, I learned that the hard way when I plugged my hairdryer into a socket in Germany my first day there and it smoked and fried it!)
Thanks to that experience, I learned a lot about baking work-arounds. In this article, I will recommend some alternative methods for baking your breads to perfection, even if you do not have the tools recommended in your chosen recipe.
Alternative Ways for Preparing & Baking Sandwich Breads
Using Parchment, Bread Loaf Pans, etc.
What size is a bread loaf pan?
Do you have to bake bread in a loaf pan?
What can be substituted for parchment paper?
Have these questions crossed your mind, then read on!
FOR EXAMPLE, If your recipe recommends two 8″x4″x2″ bread loaf pans but you do not have them. You can use one 9″x5″x3″ pan. The one larger bread loaf pan will yield you one nice large loaf.
See more options, instructions and results in chart below.
| Recommended: | Question: | Answer: | Instructions: | Results: |
| Electric mixer with dough hook | Can bread be made without a mixer? | Yes! Hand knead your dough. (Don’t worry – hand kneading was done for centuries before mixers came along!) | Hand mixing takes time and energy but can be done for any recipe! To hand knead a dough, it generally takes double to triple the time recommended when using the mixer. For instance, if 8 minutes is recommended, then you will knead by hand 16-24 minutes. Knead until your dough passes the windowpane test. | Your bread will be excellent! |
| Cover dough with plastic wrap. | What can I use instead of plastic wrap to cover my bread dough? | Cover dough with a clean linen kitchen towel. | Lay towel over the top of the bowl for bulk fermentation or shaped bread to proof. | The dough will proof. Your dough may develop a slight crust as air permeates the towel (not to worry). Or your dough may stick, but you can sprinkle your towel with flour to prevent this. |
| Clean Shower Cap | Stretch shower cap over the bowl during bulk fermentation. | The dough will proof. Bonus: It’s reusable! Just clean it and set aside for another use. | ||
| Plastic shopping bag or plastic vegetable bag. | Place bowl or banneton into shopping bag and tie the handles at top or pull bag over the top and tuck handles below. | The dough will proof. | ||
| Two 8″ x 4″ bread loaf pans | What can I use instead of a small bread loaf pan? | Use one 9″x5″x3″ bread loaf pan | Do not divide your dough in half as you would for two pans. Instead form dough into one loaf and place in the 9″x 5″x3″ pan. Bake same time & temp or slightly longer. | You will get one large loaf of bread. |
| Two 8″x4″x2″ or one 9″x5″x 3″ bread loaf pan | What can I use instead of a bread pan? | One 9″ x 13″ x 2″ cake pan | Make rolls. Shape your bread dough into 12 rounds; line them up 3 across and 4 down. Bake same temp but reduce baking time. | You will have 12 pull apart rolls instead. |
| One deep dish 2 Qt casserole dish (ceramic or glass) | Shape your bread into the shape of the pan (round, oblong, rectangular), prepare your dish with spray oil, and place the bread in to rise, bake uncovered in dish. Bake same time & temp. **If pan is glass reduce oven heat by 25F degrees. | Your sandwich bread will take on the shape of your casserole dish, unique! | ||
| 9″ pie pan | Divide and shape your bread into 9 rounds, place one round in the center and eight rounds surrounding the center one. **If pan is glass reduce oven heat by 25F degrees. | You will have 9 pull apart rolls. | ||
| 9″ x 9″ square pan | Divide and shape your bread into 9 rounds, place in pan 3 rows of 3 each rolls. **If pan is glass reduce oven heat by 25F degrees. | You will have 9 pull apart rolls. | ||
| One 9″ x 13″ sheet pan | Divide and shape your bread into six rounds and place them evenly spaced on one 9″x13″ cookie sheet. | You will have six large rolls. | ||
| Two 9″ x 13″ sheet pans | Divide and shape your bread into six rounds and place them evenly spaced on one 9″x13″ cookie sheet. | You will have twelve small rolls. | ||
| Recipe recommends parchment paper | What can I use instead of parchment paper? | Use a Silicone Mat, like a Silpat | A silicone mat can be used in place of Parchment paper, place it on a 9″x13″ sheet pan, does not require additional spray or grease. Silpat manufacturer recommends to bake no higher than 480F degrees. | A silicone mat is non stick so your bread will release easily. |
| Use Aluminum Foil | Spray the aluminum foil and spread with corn meal or rice flour to create a non-stick surface that allows air to flow around the bread. | Bread will come off your pan easily with easy clean up. |
Alternative Ways for Preparing & Baking Artisan or Rustic, No-knead Breads
Using Bannetons, Dutch Ovens, Baking Stones, etc.
Most artisan or rustic bread recipes suggest that you use a banneton for final proofing and then bake your bread in a Dutch oven.
What can I use instead of a Dutch oven?
FOR EXAMPLE, If your recipe recommends you bake your bread in a Dutch Oven. Instead, use your oven safe (no plastic knobs) soup pot!
See more options, instructions and results in chart below.
| Recommended: | Question: | Answer: | Instructions: | Results: |
| Cover dough with plastic wrap. | What can I use instead of plastic wrap to cover my bread dough? | Cover dough with a clean linen kitchen towel. | Lay towel over the top of the bowl for bulk fermentation or shaped bread to proof. | The dough will proof. Your dough may develop a slight crust as air permeates the towel (not to worry). Or your dough may stick, but you can sprinkle your towel with flour to prevent this. |
| Clean Shower Cap | Stretch shower cap over the bowl during bulk fermentation. | The dough will proof. Bonus: It’s reusable! Just clean it and set aside for another use. | ||
| Plastic shopping bag or plastic vegetable bag. | Place bowl or banneton into shopping bag and tie the handles at top or pull bag over the top and tuck handles below. | The dough will proof. | ||
| Proof dough in a Banneton (a rattan basket/bread form). | What can I use instead of a Banneton? | A colander, strainer or pasta drainer | Line the strainer with a clean linen dish cloth liberally sprinkled with flour. Rice flour works best but any flour will do. | Your bread will proof into a round boule read for a Dutch oven. (The holes help with air flow to reduce condensation.) |
| A bowl that is about the same size as your Dutch oven. | Line the bowl with a clean linen dish cloth liberally sprinkled with flour. Rice flour works best but any flour will do. | Your bread will proof into a round boule ready for a Dutch oven. | ||
| Recipe recommend to bake in a Dutch oven | What can I use instead of a Dutch oven for bread? | An oven safe (up to 450F degrees), fully metal, 4 – 6 qt. soup or stock pot; make sure it does not have plastic handles. | The walls of a soup or stock pot are not as thick as a Dutch oven. Preheat for a shorter cycle or place bread in cold pot to reduce chance of burning bottoms. Cover with a metal lid or aluminum foil. Bake as directed. If bottom gets too dark, place a baking sheet under the pan half way through baking. **If your soup pot does not have a cover, use aluminum foil. | Your bread will bake with a similar steam action to a Dutch oven. Ensure the size pot you choose has enough volume to account for oven spring (so bread doesn’t rise and touch the top lid during baking). |
| One deep dish 4-6 Qt casserole dish (ceramic or glass) | Do not preheat the ceramic or glass dish. Just put your formed bread into the dish per the instructions and bake at 50F degrees lower than recommended temperature. (Dutch ovens can withstand very high heat) Increase baking time accordingly (about 10-20% longer). For instance, 40 minutes becomes 44-48 minutes. **If your casserole dish does not have a cover, use aluminum foil. | Your bread will bake up into beautiful loaf but the crust will likely be softer due to a slower and lower bake temperature. | ||
| Pizza Stone | Preheat the pizza stone per instructions. Dump dough from banneton directly onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake at recommended time & temperature. | The bread may come out a bit flatter than it would if you use a Dutch oven because it won’t have as much steam action, but will still be good. You can add a metal pan of water to the oven to help keep the crust softer and add steam. | ||
| Cast Iron Skillet | Preheat the cast iron skillet per instructions. Dump dough from banneton directly onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake at recommended time & temperature. | The bread may come out a bit flatter than it would if you use a Dutch oven because it won’t have as much steam action, but will still be good. You can add a metal pan of water to the oven to help keep the crust softer and add steam. | ||
| Baking Sheet Pan (cookie sheet) | Do not use a banneton. Instead form your bread into a boule (or desired shape) and place on to a parchment lined baking sheet that’s prepared with spray oil & corn meal. Bake at the recipe recommended time and temp. | The bread may come out a bit flatter than it would if you use a Dutch oven because it won’t have as much steam action, but will still be good. You can add a metal pan of water to the oven to help keep the crust softer and add steam. |
What ways have you substituted equipment or tools in your kitchen? Place your ideas in comments below. I would love to learn from you!
If you found this article “Alternative Ways for Preparing & Baking Bread to Perfection” useful please save it to Pinterest or share it with your friends. As always, thanks for stopping by and Happy Baking!
lovely recommendations.
I seriously believe bread baking is an art, and I am learning a lot from your articles.
thank you soo much for sharing your awesome knowledge.
Thank you, Hari! I am so happy to know the articles are useful.
This is great to know. I have been making some fresh bread at home lately and will have to keep this bookmarked for future reference. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Greg! So glad that you are baking fresh bread at home, it’s a fun and rewarding project as you get to eat (and share) the results! Try my challah recipe – my family loves it with jam or Nutella. https://breadbakes.com/my-familys-favorite-6-strand-braided-challah/
This is really helpful information! I absolutely love baking bread and do it often. I will be using a few of these tips. 🙂
Hi Alyssa, I am so happy you found the info useful. Have fun baking. 🙂