Help! My Bread Tins Stick!
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How to remove bread from sticking bread tin? This is a question I'm often asked at my Bread Baking Courses. It's not a problem if you are baking traditional breads like sourdough, but if you want a nice sandwich loaf, you do need to use a bread tin. It's not really an issue, if you are using modern cake loaf tins, which are usually non-stick, but it could be a huge problem if you have an older tins or like me like to use a vintage and professional bread baking tins.
So, what can you do to prevent your bread from sticking to the bread tin? Well this is what I have tried and tested. And yes, like you I was standing with a hot bread tin trying to shake it out (and believe me swearing doesn't really work). So what does?
It really depends on what type of bread tins you have. If they are new non-stick cake loaf tins - most of them are fine to use with just oil (any vegetable or sunflower) and smear it all round the tin. If they stick, just add more oil next time.
How to season your bread tins with oil
If they are proper bread tins (usually white metal one) and they are brand new - they need to be 'seasoned'. This basically means to wipe them with oil and then bake them empty in high temperature oven for 20-30 min. Ideally this needs to be done several times, before the oil 'soaks' in to the bread tin. They still need to be oiled everytime you use them and make sure that you remove any old bits of bread or flour from your previous baking. I normally recommend to just wipe the bread tins clean, rather than wash them in between use, as harsh washing up liquids would take of the oil.
If you still get problems with bread sticking to you bread tin (and you did bake it for a reasonable time, so that you know it should be done - about 35 - 40 min for large loaf) then you can follow this.
How to remove bread from a bread tin (when it's sticking to it)
Get large pan or something similar, which is larger then your bread tin (even washing up sink is fine which is what I use) pour cold water in - about 3-4 cm high if you can. Take the tin out of oven, when you think the bread is ready and baked and dip your tin (with the sticking bread) in the cold water and leave for 5 min.
Be careful, there might be a bit of a steam as the bread tin hits the cold water. After 5 minutes see whether it's ready to come out easily. Just turn the tin upside down as usual and let the bread gently fall on your kitchen towel. If the bread is still sticking, leave it for another 5 minutes. You can try to loosen the bread with blunt knife, run around the inside of the tin edge. I use plastic disposable knife, that doesn't scratch the tin - or you can use your plastic bread dough scraper.
Don't try to just the bread from the tin by forcing it out. This will most likely results in broken bread. Just wait until the bread falls out by itself.
When I had my new professional galvanised bread baking tins, my bread would stick quite a lot and this has always worked! I think it's the steam & cold water that does the trick and releases the tins. When the bread does come out, the bottom will be a bit soggy, so I usually pop in in the oven for another 5 min - without the bread tin- to finish baking and then test it - knock on the bottom of the bread to see whether it sounds hollow.
So, just to recap - grease, grease and grease before the use and if its sticks dip it in the cold water!
Have you got your own 'tried and tested' method for removing bread from sticking bread tin? I would love to know, so feel free to share your ideas in the comments bellow. This article is an extract from my new bread baking e-book, which is now available to dowload just here:
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