I can't get the rectangular tin/mold that I want in my developing country.
So I am thinking of putting one together myself. Just getting some alu sheets and braze them together. I am aware the stainless steel is the better material, but it's a bit harder to braze I believe. I don't want any coating (PTFE start to stick to bread in no time).
Is there any hard reason not to use alu?
The only thing is I would use baking paper when baking in uncoated aluminium pans, in particular if you use sourdough. Aluminium reacts with acidic substances and it's bad for your health. With yeasted bread, maybe, it's ok
I used to have an aluminium pullman tin; it worked OK - it did stick a bit more than a good steel tin, but not too much.
It might be worth considering a removable base insert for easy loaf removal.
But good luck with the brazing - it sounds tricky on aluminium! Or consider a rivetted construction?
Lance
Sounds like you are a handyman? Brazing aluminum sheets together to form a nice box is no easy task even for a DIY diehard as it requires holding everything together properly and understanding how to braze. I am pretty sure even in a developing country you could find a small metal box somehow to bake with. I am a big fan of steel bakeware so I threw away all of my aluminum pans (I did save one made by Crown as a serving tray :)) after using steel pans for a while. Good luck!
Thanks for the feedback. I just read that AlMg3 is a common bread tin material.
@Ilya Flyamer
I don't think sourdough is an issue, because the acidity is very low, plus, there is no dough > metal contact. I talk uncoated metal - and that would be very sticky when baking, so you always have some type of release. I use a 1/3 (weight) mix of fat, oil, flour to brush that on before putting the dough in.
@albacore
Sure, I would love to have other methods, but I can't bend the sheets. No such machine on hand. There is brazing Al solder that holds in heat.
@Ming
The brazing does not scare me. but the holding it in place is probably quite tricky. It shouldn't be an eyesore in the end ;-)
You could also consider other materials. I had a dabble with wooden "tins"
Or perhaps unglazed terracotta, like plant pots?
Lance
That is an unusual loaf pan, Lance, kudos for doing a run with it. Not sure where the OP lives, I am sure he (or she) could have used a ceramic pot (most countries have them) to bake with, not clear to me what is the obsession of going through all the trouble to braze one together.