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Making pan size changes/substitutions


jsmeeker

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I have a banana nut bread recipe I like. The recipe calls for a 9x5 loaf pan. I have some bananas to use up and it's been a while since I have made this quick bread. I thought of baking it Thursday night, then taking it into the office. That's when I got the idea "Why not make them as muffins?"

So, what do I need to know about going from a 9x5 pan to a 12 cup muffin pan? Will this batter make 12? The real number I get really doesn't matter. But I need to know how much to fill each cup. Half way? 2/3rds ? When it comes to baking, do I need to adjust temp? Time wise, I am going to guess it will take less time than a single large loaf.

Also, what if I were to want to make jumbo muffins? Or mini-muffins? How to adjust/adapt for that? Not really thinking of just this specific recipe, but rather recipes in general..

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

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and I hate when people co-opt someone's topic and their question gets lost so please answer the previous question, but I've been preparing to up all of my 9x13s to half sheets. So same question, different size. For me, I'm looking mostly at my brownies right now.

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and I hate when people co-opt someone's topic and their question gets lost so please answer the previous question, but I've been preparing to up all of my 9x13s to half sheets.  So same question, different size.  For me, I'm looking mostly at my brownies right now.

co-opt away! My intention was to make this pretty opened ended not not just about a quick bread I want to make. Brownies, cakes, etc. are all fair game. I'm sure we'll both get good answers.

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

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Here's a reference I've found useful for making conversions like this. They have a chart showing the volume of batter that you can put in various different baking pans. There's also a brief discussion of how to adjust cooking time and temperature for changes in pan and batter depth.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html]Joy of Baking--Pan Sizes

MaryMc

Seattle, WA

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Jeff, I'd say fill your muffin cups 2/3 and watch carefully, they'll be done in 15 to 20 minutes for a medium muffin. You don't want those little guys to dry out.

If you are doing serious wedding cake layers you need to make some adjustments going from a 6" to a 12" layer, but for most things you just need to keep an eye on the time. You can try filling the pan with water to the level you usually fill it to determine the volume of your batter, then pour that water into your new pan and see how the volume is distributed. If you have the Food Lovers Companion, there is also a handy pan size substitution chart in there with aproximate pan volumes. RLB also has a list in the Cake Bible.

Gfron, the only problem with bigger pans of brownies is that you tend to get a thicker crusty edge that needs to be trimmed off. Oh well, more snacks for you! Do you have sheet pan extenders? They come in very handy if you want something a bit taller than the sheet pan, and they are also more square than the pan itself. http://www.bakedeco.com/static/list/sheet-...n-extenders.htm (scroll down).

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and I hate when people co-opt someone's topic and their question gets lost so please answer the previous question, but I've been preparing to up all of my 9x13s to half sheets.  So same question, different size.  For me, I'm looking mostly at my brownies right now.

Right now I use King Arthur's On-The-Fence Brownies which calls for a 9 x 13 pan. To bake in a half-size sheet pan I multiply by 1-1/2 and when it's done I cover with a glaze made with 12 oz chocolate and by that time the pan is pretty much full to the rim. If you weren't using the glaze you might be able to double the recipe. There's a chart here on The Pastry Scoop about pan volumes. This recipe cooks in the same time whether I use a 9x13 or a half-size pan but I guess that's because the batter is thinner.

Loaf to Muffins - if the batter is really thick then you shoud be able to fill them up and mound the tops to get big bakery style muffins. If it's thinner then the 2/3 rule would apply.

Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Orison Swett Marden

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