A Four-Loaf Bread Pan

[BakerAunt]

I was in an antique store today and saw a bread pan that is actually four bread pans held together in a frame. (It's probably not an antique but a "vintage" item.) The loaves were about 12 inches long and maybe 4 inches wide. Each bread pan had three tiny holes evenly space along the length. I'm not clear what their purpose would be. It was relatively heavy. I think it was made by Ecko. Price is $25. I was slightly tempted, and it might well fit into my oven, but I clearly I do not have a mixer that can mix up that much dough at a time. I think it must have been made for a commercial bakery. Has anyone seen this kind of pan before?

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• This topic was modified 7 years, 12 months ago by BakerAunt.

[Mike Nolan]

It's called a four-strap pan, and various sizes of them, many sized for commercial ovens and thus too big for most home ovens, are often used in commercial bakeries.

I'm not sure what the holes are for, they may help the bread come out.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 12 months ago by Mike Nolan.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 12 months ago by Mike Nolan.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for the answer Mike. I suspect that its ultimate fate will be to become trendy shelving or a plant holder. The antique stores here often have items that are not so much antiques as oddities.

That same store did have a beautiful oak hoosier that had a built in metal trough for kneading dough. I shall never again have a kitchen large enough for such an item, so I just admire it from afar.

[Mike Nolan]

When I was growing up, we had a 'clubhouse' in a building that was full of old bakery equipment. There were lots of 3-strap, 4-strap, even 8 strap (2x4) bread pans, racks, sheet pans, etc. I've wondered if they're still there. and what shape they're in. (The grocery store that the bakery outbuilding was behind closed many years ago, but nobody ever cleaned it out to open something else in that space.)

[wonky]

At the bi-weekly on line auction in our town, I have seen several 3 strap and 4 strap pans. I have been tempted to bid on one, but for some reason I have not. I would think they would be quite handy. My thought was to use different toppings on each. Seeds, oatmeal etc.

[S_Wirth]

Several years ago, a great young BCer with four kids and a dairy farm manager husband worked at a Hy-Vee store bakery. Someone was on the BC trying to locate one and this baker said they used hem to bake raisin bread in. She said they sold a ton of the breads.

Years ago, KAF sold the Ecko brand but many want the ones made in Europe. The shipping was ungodly high and a few BCers found friends overseas to get them one and ship it here. They appear to not even be available now. I've seen them on Ebay and places like that when I searched for them for BCers.

[Mike Nolan]

If someone's still looking for four-strap pans, several of the restaurant supply sites have them (webstaurant.com, etc)

[S_Wirth]

I meant not available in Europe now like the ones folks used to buy. I know I can edit a post for two days. Another 4-loaf bread pan that is no longer available, it appears, in Europe, is the the round crimped pans with the locks to hold them closed. This baker at Hy-Vee said they also used the round crimped pans for different kinds of breads, raisin bread included. I like round breads and always loved making my Bucket Bread recipe and using my 20-Minute Apple Butter on it. I read on Zen's forum about the restaurant supplies having the 4-loaf pans in a frame. I have a pan from KAF that bakes 4 small loaves and it is in a frame. I think it is Chicago Metallic as KA was special ordering a lot of pans from Chicago Metallic at the time. I got a bunch of 7 x 3 bread pans when KAF was selling them at a discount and they were CM made. They make great bake sale quick breads.

[S_Wirth]

The label for my 4-loaf pan by Chicago Metallic says 15 1/2" x 6"...really a nice heavy pan. KA sold them long ago.

Just an extra, my favorite pan of all time has to be the Danish loaf pan I got years ago from KA. It is long and narrow and bakes banana breads so well...no wet sunken middle. Nice smaller size slices. It measures 12 x 4 wide by 2 1/2 high. KA has sold a ceramic one more recently but have never seen a metal one since.

[BakerAunt]

I have that size (12x4), by Kaiser, made in Germany. I probably bought it over 25 years ago for a Bischofsbrot recipe that would never bake through in the middle in a 9x5 loaf pan without the edges burning. It's a good size to have.

[Mike Nolan]

Is your 12 x 4 pan measured on the top or the bottom?

Several people make a metal 12 x 4 1/2 pan:

Wilton:
Wilton Recipe-Right-Piece-Long

Here's one made with carbon steel:
Carbon Steel Long Loaf Pan

And a NorPro one:
NorPro Loaf Pan

King Arthur still has the stoneware 12x4 tea loaf pan:
Tea Loaf Pan

Fantes has a loaf pan designed for angel food cakes, 16 x 4:
Angel Loaf Pan

• This reply was modified 7 years, 12 months ago by Mike Nolan.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 12 months ago by Mike Nolan.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 12 months ago by Mike Nolan.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 12 months ago by Mike Nolan.

[Nina Beyt]

Yay, wonky, I'm so glad to see you here. I thought you were one of the ones that evaporated into the mist . . .

[wonky]

Thank you for thinking of me. Actually I have been here and on Randy's blog since we could register. I have posted a time or two, but maybe you missed that. I am so grateful for this and Randy's site. I have not registered on Zen's yet, but I will. Again, thank you for your kind thought

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