Loaf Weights and Bread Pan Sizes
If your loaf pan is too big, your bread may not rise as tall as you would like. If your pan is too small, your batter may overflow. When choosing and substituting pans, keep in mind that a small difference in dimensions can amount to a substantial difference in volume. The best way to determine the actual volume of a pan is to fill it with water and then pour the water into a liquid measuring cup.
What Is a Standard Loaf Pan? In America, what recipes call a “standard loaf pan” is 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches. If a store sells only one size of loaf pan, this is probably it. If you own one loaf pan, it should probably be this size. But larger loaf pans are not uncommon, either in stores or for recipes. Another common size is a loaf pan measuring 9 x 5 x 2-1/2 inches. The difference between an 8 1/2-inch pan and a 9-inch pan doesn't seem that big, right? But it is. Sixty years ago, a “standard loaf pan” was 9 x 5 x 2-1/2 inches.
A sandwich loaf generally is made with 1-1.5 lbs of dough, but it really depends on your pan size. The standard loaf by pan sizes are:
| Pan shape and size | Volume/Weight | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Mini loaf pan, 5¾" x 3¼" (per loaf) | 2 cups*/1/2 lb. | Mini quick breads 1.5 cups flour |
| Loaf pan, 7¾" x 3¾" x 2¼" | 3 cups/3/4 lb. | (Mom gave me 2 of these - I use them for Brown Bread) 1.5 - 2 cups of flour |
| Loaf pan, 8" x 4" x 2½" | 4 cups/1 lb. | Yeasted loaves made with 2 - 3 cups of flour |
| Loaf pan, 8½" x 4½" x 2½" | 6 cups/1 1/2 lbs. | Yeasted loaves made with about 3 cups of flour |
| Loaf pan, 9" x 5" x 3" (Antique bread pans: 9" x 5¼") |
8 cups/2 lbs. | Yeasted loaves made with about 3¾–4 cups of flour |
| Loaf pan, 10 3/8" x 5 3/8" x 3" | (I have 2 of these) Jumbo Pan - 10 x 4.5-inches - 4-5 cups flour - 2 lb (907 g) dough | |
| Pain de mie pan (Pullman loaf pan), 9" x 4" x 4" | 10 cups/2 1/2 lb. | Flat-top yeasted loaves made with 3 cups of flour |
| Pain de mie pan (Pullman loaf pan), 13" x 4" x 4" | 14 cups/3 1/2 lb. | Flat-top yeasted loaves made with 3¾–4 cups of flour |
*Note: Most recipes designed for a 9 by 5-inch pan will fill three mini loaf pans measuring roughly 5 1/2 by 3 inches.
Rolls:
Dinner rolls are generally scaled to 2.5 to 3.5 oz. (70 - 100g)
Small dinner rolls 1.25 to 1.5 oz. (34g - 42.5g)
Hamburger buns can be 3-4 oz. (85g - 113g)
A hoagie roll can be 4-6 oz. (113g - 170g)
Sub/Hoagie Rolls at 350grams with a final cooked weight of 306. That gives us a beautiful foot long (12 inch) sub.
Banneton sizes
from The Fresh Loaf:
- A round 8" brotform banneton needs between 0.5 and 1 lb of dough, which roughly means recipes with 1-2 cups of total flour. Makes a "small boule".
- A round 9" brotform banneton needs between 1 and 2 lb of dough, which roughly means recipes with 2-3 cups of total flour. Makes a "medium boule".
- A round 10" brotform banneton needs between 2 and 3 lb of dough, which roughly means recipes with 4-5 cups of total flour. Makes a "large boule".
- A round 11 3/4" brotform banneton needs between 3 and 4 lb of dough, which roughly means recipes with 7-8 cups of total flour. Makes a "mega boule".
Pizzas
12" pizza, personal (plate-sized): 175g (thin) - 250g (thicker)
14" pizza, thin crust, NYC style: 450g
14" pizza, medium "american" crust style: 540g
16" pizza, thin crust, NYC style: 567gSourdough and Rustic Loaves
Regular free-form loaf (boule) of sourdough: 1000g
Small free-form loaf (boule): 750g12" hoagie/sandwich roll: 227g
6"/7" hoagie/sandwich roll: 113gStandard baguette: 340g
Home oven baguette: 200-250gLarge pretzel: 160g
Bagel: 96-113gBurger & hot dog buns: 92g
Small soft dinner roll: 48g
Keep in mind that some doughs expand more than others, or have more oven spring than others. Consequently you'll want a little less dough than in other cases. Use the above as guidelines and rather make a little too much than too little until you have figured out, for each recipe, what you really need.
Weight Loss During Baking
"I ran a bakery for a while, and people want their loaves to weigh the amount stated on the label. And the state officials can get positively nasty if the loaves aren't close enough. So, I spent some time looking at the matter.
Most of my breads lose about 12% in baking. They are usually wettish doughs, and I am shooting for a 1 1/2 pound finished loaf (another person said 9% weight loss). Drier doughs lose less, wetter doughs lose more. In case you haven't seen the pattern, the weight loss is because water used to make the doughs boils off in baking. If you really load an oven with dough and then open the door 10 minutes later, you'll get a face full of steam. (Depending on how well your oven is sealed. With some gas ovens, the moisture escapes as fast as it is boiled off.)
