There was a thread on this subject, started and finished in 2008. I hope that perhaps by now, some of you may have more experience and more definitive answers to questions about adjusting times and temps for using mini loaf pans. I'm particularly interested in baking Brioche using steel pans with eight compartment (2-1/4" X 3-1/2") cavities which hold about 7 fl. oz. of liquid.
I've tried other dough types without much success. I would really appreciate any and all info/advice.
I've been knocking the temp down 50 degrees, but otherwise not changing anything. I try to be a little more vigilant toward the end of the bake than I am with full-sized loaves, adding at most 5 minutes at a time to the timer rather than the 10 minutes I add if I see a full loaf isn't ready.
I recommend filling several pans (cavities) with deflated and shaped dough with varied amounts starting at half full. Weigh, rise and bake. Chose the weight you prefer.
A steel pan with eight compartments. I have no idea what that looks like... got a link or photo? I am more familiar with tiny separate loaf pans. About your statement:
Got anymore details? This doesn't help much. How did the bakes turn out? Browning? Crumb?
might be beneficial. Grease form. Filling any empty spaces with 1/4 c water and remember you are filling the oven. That tray does bake differently than a one loaf pan. The outside corners will bake faster, just like muffins so that if you cannot fill all the tins, fill the inside ones first and leave the corners empty with a little water. I would think that this kind of tray should be positioned on a rack at the center of the oven. I would use the temperatures given in the recipe and check the internal dough temps 2/3 into the bake to see if they are on time with the recipe. At the same time rotate the pan.
On the link, one comment about the pans is that the smaller loaves bake faster than a full size pan.
If it is possible to pick up any of the loaves individually at this time, carefully switch the corners with the inside loaves rotating the outside edges to the inside or middle of the pan. I would start out warm and then drop the oven temp if loaves are brown enough but internal crumb temps need more heat. A probe thermometer is a handy tool. Take notes and yes, some trial and error is needed. And please, do get back to us here at TFL as this is not a common loaf pan. Surely there are others with a similar pan and not sure how to proceed.
1 2 3 4 to rotate loaves switch 1 & 7 directly 4 & 6 5 & 3 8 & 2 that would place outside corners into the middle
5 6 7 8
something I generally don't need to do but they were 50% rye and very tricky. I put a rubberband on the probe so I couldn't go too deep.
I remember the first time I saw these little pans individually. It was a promotion for margarine or something similar back in the late 60's. My Aunts and mother had collected quite a few at the time. And Mom still has a small stack of them all bright & shiny. Two trays are interesting... you could invert one tray over the other for baking using trapped steam.
Joy of Cooking lists a general time of 25 minutes baking time for x-large muffin tins at 400°F (204°C.)