Choosing the Right Pan for Bread Machine Dough

Sneak Preview: If you aren’t sure what pan is right for the dough you mixed in a bread machine, this is the guide you need.

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Choosing the right pan for your bread machine dough is key to getting the look and texture you want. Pick the wrong size, and you may get overflowing dough or a short, dense loaf.

The Golden Rule of Choosing a Pan

Place your shaped dough into the pan you’re considering. It should fill about half the pan. If it’s more than halfway, your pan may be too small. If it’s less than halfway, your pan is likely too large.

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Exceptions to the Half-Full Pan Rule

• Whole-Grain or Seeded Loaves: Use a smaller pan since these loaves don’t rise as high.
• Fluffy Loaves (e.g., Sweetened Condensed Milk Bread or this Honey Whole Wheat Bread): Use a larger pan to handle the extra rise.

What Size Pan Should I Use?

These recommendations assume that 1 cup of all-purpose or bread flour = 120 grams.

Loaf Pan Size Guide by Dough Weight

Dough Weight & Flour Amount	Recommended Pan Size	Notes
1 lb (454g) – 2-2½ cups flour	8.5” x 4.5” loaf pan	Ideal for small to standard-sized loaves.
1.5 lbs (680g) – 3-3½ cups flour	8.5” x 4.5” or 9” x 5” loaf pan	Use a larger pan for high-risers like white bread; smaller pan for denser whole-grain loaves.
2 lbs (907g) – 4-4¼ cups flour	10” x 5” loaf pan or two 8.5” x 4.5” pans	Great for hearty, family-sized loaves.

These are not hard and fast rules. You may have to experiment.

When using the recipes on this website, I tell you what size is best in my experience. If you don’t have that size, you can improvise. Keep reading…

Round Pans

Recipe & Flour Amount	Recommended Pan Size	Notes
Dinner Rolls (3 cups flour)	Two 8” pans	Yields puffy, round rolls. 9” pans or one 9″x13″ pan work but may result in flatter rolls.
Cinnamon Rolls (3 cups flour)	Two 9” pans	Prevents overcrowding and centers from popping out during baking.

How To Improvise

If the only pans you have are too small, cut the dough into portions and make rolls, a free-form loaf, or use mini-loaf pans to bake the extra dough.

Still not sure what loaf pan you should use?

Try a 9x4x4-inch Pullman pan (paid link) with tall sides. It is good for most doughs from 1 lb to 1.5 lb. It will hold a high-rising loaf or a low-riser and look good because the sides are straight up, not angled out. For 2-pound loaves, try the 13″x4″x4″ Pullman pan (paid link). Many people use this pan for sandwich bread because it makes a square-shaped slice of bread. I love it for my cinnamon-raisin loaf because it keeps the swirls under control.

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My Favorite Pans

If you are a new bread baker and trying to build your collection, buying really good pans can make a huge difference in the crust and ease of removal from the pan. I use all of the pans in the first picture at the top of this post and love them.

1. Two heavy-duty pizza pans (for pizza) with a dark finish (Check eBay for these. Defunct pizza restaurants often sell them.)
2. Two (8-inch or 9-inch (paid links) with 2-inch high sides) heavy-duty cake pans with a shiny interior or gold finish–good for dinner rolls
3. An 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pan(paid link) and a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan(paid link) for recipes containing approximately 2-1/2 to 3 cups of flour or a 10-inch loaf pan(paid link) for a 2-pound loaf.

Note: Except for pizza pans, avoid black pans, glass dishes, and Corning Ware dishes. They tend to get too hot and dry out your bread. When using glass, turn the oven down 25˚F from the specified temperature.

Final Thoughts:

When using my recipes, I always share the recommended pan size. But if you’re improvising, these guidelines will give you a place to start.

p.s. I have no affiliation with USA Pans. However, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.