A bread pan, also called a loaf pan, is a

kitchen utensil A kitchen utensil is a small hand held tool used for food preparation. Common kitchen tasks include cutting food items to size, heating food on an open fire or on a stove, baking, grinding, mixing, blending, and measuring; different utensils a ...

in the form of a container in which bread is baked. Its function is to shape bread while it is rising during baking. The most common shape of the bread pan is the

loaf A loaf ( : loaves) is a (usually) rounded or oblong mass of food, typically and originally of bread. It is common to bake bread in a rectangular bread pan, also called a loaf pan, because some kinds of bread dough tend to collapse and spread ...

, or narrow rectangle, a convenient form that enables uniform slicing. The bread pan is made from a conductive material such as

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

which might be treated with a non-stick coating. It can also be made of heat-resistant glass, ceramic, or a special type of paper that sticks to the dough but is easily removed, once cooked. Bread pans are found in a variety of designs and sizes providing the baker with different possibilities not only for baking bread, but also cakes and puddings. Types of bread typically baked in bread pans include sandwich breads, brioche,

challah Challah (, he, חַלָּה or ; plural: or ) is a special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays (other than Passover). Ritually acceptable ch ...

, and

raisin bread Raisin bread (also known as fruit toast in New Zealand) is a type of bread made with raisins and flavored with cinnamon. It is "usually a white flour or egg dough bread". Aside from white flour, raisin bread is also made with other flours, such a ...

. Image:Banana bread in loaf pan.jpg, A loaf of

banana bread Banana bread is a type of cake made from mashed bananas. It is often a moist and sweet quick bread but some recipes are yeast raised. History Banana bread recipes began to feature in well-known cookbooks across North America as baking soda and b ...

sitting in a loaf pan. Image:Banana bread with loaf pan next to it.jpg, The same loaf of banana bread removed from the pan. Notice how it holds its shape.

See also