A while ago, I read about bakers using a loaf pan and covering it with an identical pan over the top to create steam. I'm now interested in this and before I buy these pans (which ones is another question) I wonder if anyone has any experience with this method. I wonder if the top pan stays put and if the seal is adequate. Shopping around online (this is February 2021), I'm not having much luck seeing which ones might work. I would welcome any insight from someone with this experience or suggestions on brands. Thanks!
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/49987/upsidedown-bread-pan
Watch the you tube video also
Check out Steve Gamelin's PMDO video (Poor mans dutch oven). His bread recipies are easy and the PMDO is detailed in his video too. He shows several options.
I forgot to include the link to his video.
Attributes of a Poor Man’s Dutch Oven (PMDO)… How to make your PMDO - YouTube
This one is on sale in app.
There are discussions on the forum about using graniteware to generate steam.
Yippee
I have had some successful bakes in our graniteware roaster. A couple of batards (not at the same time), and on occasion I have put a loaf pan inside as an experiment - worked great! Could I have achieved a more artisan result using other methods? Possibly. But for our budget (and storage capacity) this has proven to be a good work-around for the time being.
Edit, adding a photo of a recent graniteware baked batard:
...To cover a loaf pan with another loaf pan, it wasn’t pretty. Not exactly a disaster, but less than ideal. Some dough baked onto the upper pan so a large chunk of of the top crust was damaged on unmolding. Better solution for me is graniteware roaster over loaf on baking stone. I surround the loaf with 6-10 ice cubes before covering. A large stainless bowl would probably cover a bread pan.
Good luck,
Phil