Why You Should Never Bake Bread In A Glass Dish
For many of us, just thinking about soft, doughy, fragrant bread is enough to get our mouths watering. Whether your tastes tend toward hearty whole wheat, crusty baguette, pillowy brioche, or any of the other dozens of bread options, there's no denying that the yeasty treat is inherently crave-able in any of its varied forms.
While the majority of bread fans undoubtedly rely on the grocery store or local bakery for their bread needs, there are those of us who are passionate about baking at home — especially over the past few years, when a veritable sourdough baking frenzy swept across the world as everyone stuck at home rediscovered the pleasures of cooking and baking projects (via Vox). But as anyone who's attempted bread baking knows, the process isn't without its challenges, from using the wrong kind of yeast to under-kneading the dough — any of which can turn out a sodden, under-risen, or otherwise lackluster loaf.
Another common pitfall faced by home bakers of sandwich bread is using the wrong type of dish. The next time you bake bread in a loaf pan, you're going to want to avoid ones made of glass, and here's why.
Slow-heating glass can cause uneven rising and baking
You've probably noticed two main types of loaf pans on the market: metal (typically aluminum) and glass. Handy for baking sandwich bread, as they will turn out a uniform loaf, loaf pans are an essential item for any baker — but the question is, which type is better for baking bread? The answer, according to Bon Appétit, is metal. The outlet explains that glass is an insulator rather than a conductor, meaning it's slower to heat up and cool down. All that retained heat can cause bread to bake unevenly — typically cooking faster on the outside while remaining doughy and raw on the inside.
Bon Appétit recommends choosing an aluminum loaf pan for bread instead, which will heat up quickly, contributing to more even rising and turning out a crisper, browner crust — advice echoed by Food Network, which states that metal pans are a great option for bread baking. So if your kitchen is full of glass baking dishes, you might be wondering: What can I use those for? According to both outlets, one good contender is pie. Glass pie plates are ideal, especially for beginners, because you can lift up the plate to check the bottom of the crust and make sure it's browned, not burnt or raw. So hold onto your glass pie plates, but look for a sturdy aluminum pan for your next loaf, focaccia, or batch of dinner rolls (via Bon Appétit).