How to Bake Sourdough in a Loaf Pan (Double Loaf Pan Method)

If you wonder how to bake sourdough in a loaf pan, you can do so, and you will love the results. This is one of the most forgiving sourdough baking methods, especially when you are still learning to judge bulk fermentation.

The dough proofs directly in a loaf pan, eliminating the need for a banneton or its alternative, unless you prefer to use one.

New to sourdough? Start with my Beginner's Sourdough Guide to learn the basics.

Why bake sourdough bread in a loaf pan

Baking sourdough in a loaf pan is a practical, beginner-friendly approach with several benefits:

• Cost- and time-efficient: There is no need for specialized tools, such as a banneton or Dutch oven.

• Consistent shape: The loaf pan supports the dough, which results in a neat, even loaf that is easy to slice, store, and use for sandwiches.

• Saves over-proofed dough: A loaf pan helps support the over-proofed dough, preventing it from collapsing in the oven.

• Beginner-friendly: Simplifies the baking process and removes the stress of complex shaping or scoring.

• Great for batch baking: Ideal for making multiple loaves at once and maximizing oven space, perfect for those who sell sourdough bread.

Steam methods for baking sourdough in a loaf pan

There are two simple ways to bake sourdough in a loaf pan and still create steam for a beautiful crust:

• Single loaf pan with added steam: Place your sourdough in a loaf pan and set a separate pan of hot water on the oven rack below it. The rising steam helps mimic the effect of a covered baking environment.

• Double loaf pan method: Use two loaf pans by stacking a second, identical one upside down over the first to create a homemade steam chamber. This setup traps steam naturally, similar to baking in a Dutch oven, and works well in both electric and gas ovens.

Ingredients

• Flour: Go for unbleached bread flour with a protein content of at least 12.5%. If you are comfortable with whole-grain baking, you can substitute 5-10% of the flour with whole wheat. For this recipe, I am using King Arthur bread flour with a protein content of 12.7%.
• Water: Use filtered, spring, or chlorine-free tap water. To dechlorinate the water, leave it in an open container on the counter overnight.
• Sourdough starter: You will need a wheat levain or an active starter at 100% hydration, used at its peak activity.
• Salt: Use fine sea salt. Skip the iodized table salt.
• Rice flour: White rice flour is great for dusting your proofing basket (banneton) and work surface to prevent sticking.

Before you begin, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. Use a digital scale to measure the ingredients accurately.

Here is the final bread formula:

Ingredient	Baker's Percentage	Weight
Bread flour	100%	500g
Water	70%	350g
Leavin/Active starter, 100% hydration	20%	100g
Fine sea salt	2%	10g

NOTES:

• The total dough weight is 960g, which is ideal for a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan. For Norpro loaf pans, I use 700g of dough for the 8‑inch pan and 900-920g for the 10‑inch pan. If you need to adjust the bread formula for your own loaf, try my sourdough calculator.
• My kitchen temperature is 73°F (23°C), with a humidity level of 40%
• Bulk fermentation: 6-7 hours with a 75-80% increase in dough size
• Proofing time: 14 hours cold-proof in the fridge
• Baking in a conventional oven: 430°F (230°C) with steam, 20 minutes; without steam, 17-20 minutes.

Tools & Equipment

• A kitchen scale for accurate measurements.
• A large mixing bowl with enough space to mix and bulk ferment the dough.
• A probe thermometer to check the dough temperature and the internal temperature of baked bread.
• A Danish dough whisk for mixing levain into water. Some bakers also use it to mix dough instead of using their hands.
• A bowl scraper for scraping dough from the sides of a bowl.
• An aliquot jar to track dough rise if using the aliquot jar method. I use this 2.7-oz. plastic container.
• A damp linen or cotton towel to cover the dough and prevent drying. I love using flour sack towels.
• A bench scraper helps preshape the dough and keep your work surface clean.
• A dough scoring tool for slashing the dough. This bread lame is my favorite.
• Loaf pans: Choose standard 9×5-inch loaf pans with rims, or 8- or 10-inch loaf pans without rims, such as Norpro or USA pans. Read below for tips on how to select the best loaf pan.
• Long oven mitts protect your hands when handling hot Dutch ovens or roasting pans. I love these silicone gloves.
• Bread knife for slicing sourdough into clean, even slices. Read more about choosing the best bread knife.

How to bake sourdough in a loaf pan

Make a levain (an active starter):

Feed your starter in the morning at a 1:1:1 ratio (35g starter, 35g flour, and 35g water), and wait 4-6 hours for it to peak. Alternatively, feed it the evening before mixing the dough, based on the feeding ratio and peak time of your starter.

Autolyse

Mix water and flour with your hand or a dough whisk into a large mixing bowl until you have a shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with a plastic film or a damp tea towel and let it sit for 30 minutes.

If you are familiar with fermentolyse, you can use that instead. Mix the levain (an active starter) with flour and 95% of the water amount first. Rest the dough for 30 minutes, then add the salt and the remaining 5% of water. Mix.

Mix the dough

Add the levain (an active starter) to the dough and mix it in, then sprinkle in the sea salt. Use your hand to mix thoroughly for 3 to 10 minutes. Adjust the mixing time based on your schedule and the desired level of gluten development. A longer mix builds a stronger gluten network.

Set up the aliquot jar, if using the aliquot jar method, and check the dough level at the start.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. Once the levain is added, bulk fermentation begins.

Fold the dough

Start with two sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. Then perform two sets of coil folds, also 30 minutes apart. For each set, stretch the dough in all four directions. After each fold, check the dough temperature and write it down in your baking log.

Between folds, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Continue bulk fermentation

Allow the dough to keep fermenting, checking its temperature every 30 minutes to monitor progress.

Bulk fermentation is complete once the dough has reached the target percentage rise (check your aliquot jar if you are using one), which varies depending on the dough temperature.

Note: I usually aim for about an 80% rise at 73°F (24°C), though with King Arthur bread flour, I often push it to 90%.

By the end of bulk fermentation, you should see visible bubbles across the surface and along the sides, if you are using a glass bowl. The edges of the dough will appear slightly domed, and if you gently shake the bowl, the dough should have a soft, wobbly jiggle.

Preshape and bench rest

Preshape the dough into a round, then let it rest uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Shape the dough

There are different ways to shape dough for baking in a loaf pan, but it is always a bâtard, shaped slightly differently depending on the pan size.

You can use the classic bâtard shaping method for a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan. However, if you use a longer 10-inch pan, the shaping is slightly different but follows the same basic steps. Here is how to do this:

Proof the dough

There are two methods for proofing sourdough: using a loaf pan or a banneton.

To proof the dough in a loaf pan, line the loaf pan with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom. Some bakers prefer using parchment paper strips or disposable loaf pan liners. Others opt for silicone loaf pan liners, but consider reading about the pros and cons of baking with silicone molds before making this choice.

Alternatively, you can lightly grease the pan with avocado oil, using a silicone brush to reach all corners and prevent sticking. I usually spray four spritzes of avocado oil, then spread it evenly with a silicone brush.

Place the shaped dough seam side down into the pan. Cover with a clean towel or place it inside a plastic bag. Let it proof either at room temperature (countertop proofing) or in the fridge overnight (cold proofing).

To proof the dough in a banneton, place the shaped dough seam side up in a proofing basket. Cover with a clean towel or place it inside a plastic bag. Let the dough proof at room temperature (countertop proofing) or in the fridge overnight (cold proofing).

Using cold proofing, refrigerate the dough for 12 to 16 hours, or up to 48 hours. The longer it proofs, the deeper and more complex the sourdough flavor will become.

Baking

You can bake sourdough in a loaf pan using two methods: the double loaf pan method, which traps steam naturally, or the single loaf pan method, which relies on adding steam manually.

For the double loaf pan method (great for electric and gas ovens), start by preheating your oven to 500°F (260°C) for 30 minutes.

If your dough was cold-proofed in a banneton, flip it into a greased or parchment-lined loaf pan, seam side down. Score the top with a single slash using a bread lame, then cover the loaf pan with a second identical pan to trap steam.

Place the pan stack into the oven using oven mitts. Lower the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C) and bake for 20 minutes. After that, carefully remove the top pan and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

For the single loaf pan method, which mimics the "open bake" method, place a heatproof pan (such as a roasting pan, a cast-iron skillet, or a medium-size stainless steel pan) on the lower rack and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, boil water in a kettle.

Once ready, flip the cold-proofed dough into a prepared loaf pan (if a banneton is used for proofing), seam side down, and score it with a single slash. Using oven mitts, place the loaf pan on the middle rack.

Wear safety goggles and carefully pour 350-400g of boiling water into the hot pan below, then quickly close the oven door. You can also spritz the dough and oven walls for additional steam.

Reduce the oven temperature to 430°F (220°C) and bake for 20 minutes. Then, open the oven, remove the steam pan, and continue baking for an additional 17-20 minutes, until the bread is deeply golden brown.

Remove the bread from the oven using oven mitts. Let it cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Expert Tips

• Besides a single slash, you can add simple decorative scoring before baking.
• Always use oven mitts or silicone gloves for a secure grip when handling hot pans.
• If baking with a steam pan, be careful when adding boiling water. Wear safety goggles for protection.
• When baking with two loaf pans, cover the loaves with aluminum foil after removing the top pan to prevent over-browning or burning.
• Check the internal temperature of bread: it should be 205-210°F (96-99°C).
• When baking multiple batches, let the oven return to 500°F (260°C) before loading the next batch.
• Adjust the baking temperature and time as needed by testing.

How to choose the right loaf tin

For the double loaf pan method, use standard 9×5-inch loaf pans or 9.25×5.25-inch non-stick Wilton pans. Many bakers also like Mainstays non-stick 9×5-inch pans from Walmart (USA) or stainless steel loaf pans from various brands.

Some bakers secure the top pan with 1.25-inch 100% metal binder clips, attaching them to the "grip handles" or "wide rim" at both ends to help trap steam inside.

For baking sourdough bread in a single loaf pan, try a 9×4-inch USA loaf pan or an 8-inch or 10-inch Norpro loaf pan.

A standard 9×5-inch pan holds 900-950 g of dough, while a 9.25×5.25-inch pan fits 960-1000 g. The 9×4-inch USA Pan and 10-inch Norpro pan each hold 880-950 g, and the 8-inch Norpro pan holds about 700 g of dough.

Alternative baking regimens to try

Double loaf pan method:

• Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 30 minutes, covered, then increase the temperature to 475°F (245°C) and bake for an additional 15 minutes, uncovered.
• Alternatively, bake at 465°F (240°C) for 30 minutes covered, then 7 minutes uncovered.

Single loaf pan method with a steam pan:

• Conventional oven: Bake at 430°F (220°C) for 20 minutes with steam, then 18-20 minutes without steam.
• Convection oven: Bake at 405°F (205°C) for 15-18 minutes with steam, then 15 minutes without steam. Use a cast-iron pan with lava rocks to generate a lot of steam. Alternatively, try baking at 450°F (230°C) for approximately 40 minutes without steam.

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