Even though copper pans have been around for cooking purposes for centuries, recently, they have become all the rage.
Thanks to their rapid and even heat conduction and aesthetic exterior, now, even home chefs have been gravitating towards copper cookware.
However, you are likely to see copper pans and pots everywhere in a professional chef’s kitchen.
Most chefs have been using copper cookware for years because of its incredible benefits. The most notable of these is the fact that they heat up and cook the food quickly.
The best use of copper pans comes from baking. You can bake all sorts of cakes, breads, or even lasagna in them.
This guide will highlight how you can bake bread in a copper pan and how to clean the pan afterward.
Why Bake Bread In A Copper Pan?
There are tons of reasons you should be cooking, specifically baking, in a copper pan.
These pans are the best heat conductors out there. They not only heat up quickly but stay warm for a long period of time as well.
However, that’s not all. Copper pans provide even heat distribution to the pan, so your bread is not just baked quickly but uniformly throughout.
Chances of any bits of the bread being burnt, or even uncooked, are unlikely.
Copper cookware is also completely safe to bake in, as long as they are lined with another metal such as tin, stainless steel, or nickel.
This is typically the case with most copper cookware in the market.
Also read: Can Copper Pans Work on Induction Hob?
How To Bake Bread In A Copper Pan: Steps To Follow
Baking with a copper pan is quite easy. All you need to do is follow the right procedure and be mindful of the heat.
Here is how you can bake in a copper pan:
Step 1: Check Your Copper Pan
First and foremost, you must check your copper pan to see if it has properly been lined with another metal.
If not, you cannot bake in it. It is not recommended to cook with a copper pan that has not been lined with another metal because the acidic copper becomes reactive.
Hence cooking with it becomes unsafe because it may react with the food, especially if they are acidic in nature as well.
Step 2: Adjust The Cooking Time
Cooking with copper pans is slightly different than with other types of pans. Since copper is an excellent heat conductor, it heats up pretty quickly.
Cooking time is thus reduced when you are baking with a copper pan. If you bake according to the given time in the recipe, you risk burning the bread.
Adjust the baking time accordingly. For example, if the recipe calls for baking the bread for half an hour in a standard pan, you should bake it in a copper pan for twenty minutes.
Step 3: Removing The Bread
Once you have baked the bread in your copper pan, you should wait for it to cool down. When the pan has reached room temperature, you remove it.
It’s imperative that you use a wooden or plastic spatula to remove the bread from the pan and not a metal one.
A metal spatula can cause scratches to the pan.
Step 4: Storing The Bread
You can store your bread in a plastic container or Tupperware. However, refrain from leaving the bread in the copper pan for too long.
It is not recommended to leave your bread in this pan for longer than two hours because the bread might start having a metal taste.
Also read: Seasoning a Copper Pan
Bread Recipe
If you are planning to make homemade bread in your copper pan, here’s an easy and thorough recipe you can follow:
Ingredients You Need
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 cups hot water 130-140 F
- Extra flour for shaping and handling the dough
- 2 tbsp Canola oil
Steps To Bake Bread
- Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl and mix
- Now, add the hot water and mix gently with your hands. At this point, the dough should start sticking to your fingers
- Knead the dough gently for a few minutes until it is smooth and elastic. You should use flour on the surface and the dough to prevent the dough from sticking too much
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it proof in a warm and dark place. This should take about three to four hours
- When the dough has doubled in size, it’s ready to be baked
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
- Place the dough on parchment or baking paper and roll it into the shape of a loaf. Add flour as needed. Use a scraper to help handle the dough and in rolling it
- Grease your copper pan with canola oil
- Place the dough in the copper pan and put the pan in the oven
- Bake the bread for twenty minutes or until it is golden brown
- Let your bread cool in the pan for ten to fifteen minutes, or until it reaches room temperature, then serve
How To Clean Copper Pan
Baking bread in a copper pan means that bits of the bread is likely to stick to the surface even if you had sufficiently greased it.
Cleaning your copper pan the right way is extremely important as you don’t want to ruin the surface or metal lining on the pan.
Here’s how you can clean your copper pan:
Step 1: Let It Cool
With any metal cookware, including copper, you should let it sit at room temperature before washing it.
It’s not only good for the pan but also safer for you. Hence, make sure that your copper pan has cooled down before you begin cleaning it.
Step 2: Clean With Soap and Water
When cleaning a copper pan, use warm water. First, rinse it with water, and then use a gentle soap.
Avoid using steel wools or other harsh and abrasive tools to clean the copper pan. This is because it might tarnish or scratch the copper surface of the pan.
After applying soap, wash the pan thoroughly.
Step 3: Dry Thoroughly
It is significantly important to thoroughly dry your copper pan with a dry towel or cloth.
Any residual water can harm the copper coating of the pan. It can tarnish it and make it toxic.
Additionally, it might also potentially lead to rusting.
Tips On Caring For Copper Pans
You need to remember some things when you are using copper pans for cooking, braising, or baking.
Here are some helpful tips that will ensure that your copper pots and pans last you for years:
Do not put them in the dishwasher
A dishwasher can be too harsh for copper cookware. It might scratch their surface and scratch the nickel, tin, or stainless steel surface.
This can expose the pure copper coating of the pan and make it toxic.
Avoid abrasive products
When cleaning your copper pots and pans, avoid using steel wools and harsh chemicals like bleach.
This can also damage the pans and make them toxic.
Polish your copper pans regularly
Over time, your copper cookware might rust or tarnish because of consistent exposure to water and air. This is normal for metals like copper and brass.
To make sure that your copper cookware does not tarnish, you can take some measures like polishing it regularly after every six months.
You can either use a copper cleaner to polish it or use a homemade mixture with ingredients you probably have in your pantry.
Here are some ways to polish your copper pans:
Lemon Juice (or Vinegar) and Baking Soda
Combine lemon juice (or vinegar) with baking soda in a bowl to make a paste. Apply this on the copper pan with a cloth. Buff this mixture in thoroughly.
Then, rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly.
Ketchup
You can also use ketchup to clean the tarnish from copper pans.
This is because of the acidic content in tomatoes. Apply a layer of ketchup, buff it in with the cloth, then rinse the pan and pat it dry.
Lemon and Salt
Cut a lemon in half and apply salt to the cut surface.
Use that cut lemon to rub it on your copper pan.
You can add more salt as well. Then, rinse the pan and dry thoroughly.
Vinegar and Salt
Make a paste of vinegar and salt and rub it on the copper pan for a few minutes. You can also use lemon juice instead of vinegar.
Once done, rinse and dry thoroughly.
The Bottom Line
Baking bread in a copper pan is one of the best things you can do with it. This is because the bread is not just baked quickly but evenly throughout.
Remember to wash and dry your copper pan thoroughly after use. Moreover, polish it regularly to ensure your copper pan lasts you for a long time.
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