Adjusting volume, baking times, and temperatures for different pan sizes

[Anna N]

I have a recipe for white sandwich bread which makes sufficient dough for a 9x5 loaf pan. We much prefer a smaller loaf so I would like to make it in an 8 x 4 pan and use any excess dough for a couple of dinner rolls.

Does anyone know how to estimate the difference? Thanks.

[jsolomon]

  Anna N said:

I have a recipe for white sandwich bread which makes sufficient dough for a 9x5 loaf pan.  We much prefer a smaller loaf so I would like to make it in an 8 x 4 pan and use any excess dough for a couple of dinner rolls.

Does anyone know how to estimate the difference?  Thanks.

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Well, 9x5 = 45. 8x4 = 32. Assuming your heights are the same, then 32/45 should be your answer = .7 (give or take).

So, if you multiply ingredient amounts by .7, you should be good. Honestly, I would try multiplying by .75, and have another dinner roll.

So, 3 cups flour * .75 = 2.25 cups

1 Tbsp sugar becomes 2.25 tsp

2 tsp salt becomes 1.5 tsp and so forth.

For your cooking time, start checking 5 minutes earlier. Same temperature.

[Anna N]

  jsolomon said:

  Anna N said:

I have a recipe for white sandwich bread which makes sufficient dough for a 9x5 loaf pan.  We much prefer a smaller loaf so I would like to make it in an 8 x 4 pan and use any excess dough for a couple of dinner rolls.

Does anyone know how to estimate the difference?  Thanks.

←

Well, 9x5 = 45. 8x4 = 32. Assuming your heights are the same, then 32/45 should be your answer = .7 (give or take).

So, if you multiply ingredient amounts by .7, you should be good. Honestly, I would try multiplying by .75, and have another dinner roll.

So, 3 cups flour * .75 = 2.25 cups

1 Tbsp sugar becomes 2.25 tsp

2 tsp salt becomes 1.5 tsp and so forth.

For your cooking time, start checking 5 minutes earlier. Same temperature.

←

Thank you. So can I extrapolate that if I make the dough as given in the recipe, weigh it when ready, multiply by .7 and use that in the loaf pan and the remainder for rolls I will have a properly proportioned smaller loaf?

[donyeokl]

Hi Anna,

I would say 375g of flour will do well plus giving you some dinner rolls. The remaining stuffs(salt, water, sugar and etc) would be easy for you to calculate.

Cheers...

Don

[Anna N]

  donyeokl said:

Hi Anna,

I would say 375g of flour will do well plus giving you some dinner rolls. The remaining stuffs(salt, water, sugar and etc) would be easy for you to calculate. 

Cheers...

Don

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Thanks but I am trying to avoid messing with the ingredient quantities and just adjust the amount of finished dough. So I am already jumping in there - have made the dough and when it is ready to be shaped I am going to weigh it, multiply by .7 and see what happens.

[Anna N]

It worked beautifully. I weighed the dough just prior to shaping and it was 863 grams. Multiplied this by .7 and used 604 grams of dough for the bread and the remainder for two nice fat rolls. Thanks for the help on this.

[jsolomon]

Glad to be of service.

Have calculator, will travel.

[lperry]

I do quite a bit of baking, but I tend to follow the suggestions that the authors make for which types of pans to use. But I've just now purchased a very pretty little fluted mold that I know I will use quite often. It is a five cup bundt-type pan that I want to use (this time) for a pound cake that I usually prepare in a loaf pan. I know that it will cook faster because of the tube in the middle, but I don't know just how fast that might be. If the cake in the loaf pan takes an hour at 325 degrees, should I start checking the tube pan after half that time?

This is what the pan looks like, although mine claims to be a five cup volume. The site indicates that I should shave 10% off the cooking time, but I am assuming that this instruction is for a similar pan made from light metal (?) Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks-

L

[K8memphis]

I would check it at like 35-40 mins in. It might be done. 30 minutes is kinda fast to be done at 325 degrees, but you can get a good feel for how much additional time is needed by the condition it's in at that point too.

See your pan is deep and narrow and will cook faster than a bundt pan that is more spread out. The heat will be able to get to the batter really efficiently. If you baked two identical batches in different pans, like this, or this yours would be done quicker.

Gonna serve it with berries & whipped cream???

[lperry]

  K8memphis said:

I would check it at like 35-40 mins in. It might be done. 30 minutes is kinda fast to be done at 325 degrees, but you can get a good feel for how much additional time is needed by the condition it's in at that point too.

See your pan is deep and narrow and will cook faster than a bundt pan that is more spread out. The heat will be able to get to the batter really efficiently. If you baked two identical batches in different pans, like this, or this yours would be done quicker.

Thanks for the advice - this makes sense.

  Quote

Gonna serve it with berries & whipped cream???

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Most definitely!

[BooBear]

Can I substitute baking times & temperature from one cake recipe for another cake recipe's baking time and temperature? I'm trying to make cheesecake.

[blue_dolphin]

  On 4/8/2022 at 5:06 PM, BooBear said:

Can I substitute baking times & temperature from one cake recipe for another cake recipe's baking time and temperature? I'm trying to make cheesecake.

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There's one way to find out!  

Why do you want to substitute?  Does the recipe you are making call for a time and temp that is very different from other recipes with the same pan size and similar ingredients?

 

Edited to add that most reliable baking recipes give times as guidelines and provide alternate "doneness" guides that are generally the more important thing to follow.

Edited April 8, 2022 by blue_dolphin (log)

[BooBear]

  On 4/8/2022 at 5:11 PM, blue_dolphin said:

 

There's one way to find out!  

Why do you want to substitute?  Does the recipe you are making call for a time and temp that is very different from other recipes with the same pan size and similar ingredients?

 

Edited to add that most reliable baking recipes give times as guidelines and provide alternate "doneness" guides that are generally the more important thing to follow.

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The two cakes are the same size and made up of similar ingredients (they just have different baking times and temps). The first recipe is the cook's illustrated recipe and it has a baking time of 10 mins at a temperature of 500degrees and bake time of 1 and 1/2 hrs at 200 degrees for the remaining bake. I want to use the juniors' time of 1 hr and 15 mins and temp of 350degrees. The reason I want to use the juniors time and temp is because I don't want to risk burning the cheesecake with the more complicated CI's recipe's time and temp (and I also want to cut down the cheesecake recipe by about half).

 

I'm going to cut down the size from (the recipe) 9in springform to a 4in springform.

[blue_dolphin]

  On 4/8/2022 at 5:28 PM, BooBear said:

I'm going to cut down the size from (the recipe) 9in springform to a 4in springform.

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Using a very different pan size means you're pretty much on your own!  Do the recipes use a water bath?  Are you using one?

[BooBear]

  On 4/8/2022 at 5:48 PM, blue_dolphin said:

 

Using a very different pan size means you're pretty much on your own!  Do the recipes use a water bath?  Are you using one?

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Yeah, I'm gonna use a water bath. I guess I can bake my cake like a junior's cheesecake (temperature of 350), and as for the time I should just babysit the cake while it's baking. That's what my conclusion is.

[blue_dolphin]

  On 4/8/2022 at 5:51 PM, BooBear said:

Yeah, I'm gonna use a water bath. I guess I can bake my cake like a junior's cheesecake (temperature of 350), and as for the time I should just babysit the cake while it's baking. That's what my conclusion is.

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Sounds wise.  While you're babysitting, you may want to read this: Guide to Adjusting Cheesecake Sizes

[BooBear]

  On 4/8/2022 at 5:52 PM, blue_dolphin said:

 

Sounds wise.  While you're babysitting, you may want to read this: Guide to Adjusting Cheesecake Sizes

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Thanks. Will read.