These baking tins are robustly constructed from aluminised steel which isn’t just strong enough to last a lifetime but also transmits heat evenly with no hot spots. The thick steel (8mm) reduces the chance of producing bread with burnt sides, which can sometimes be a problem in thinner, cheaper tins.

Unlike many ‘kitchen shop’ baking tins, our specially moulded loaf tins are shaped to flatter your breadmaking skills. They are fairly narrow and almost straight-sided, which means that even a modestly-risen loaf comes out looking good.

With basic care, these tins should last for a long time. We send an explanatory leaflet out with each order and full instructions are available below.

First use

Before using the tin for the first time, please wash it in warm water to remove any residual dust or dirt from the manufacturing process. Don’t use washing-up liquid or other detergent. Dry the tin completely.

Optional: grease the tin lightly with a fat that is hard at room temperature, e.g. butter, coconut fat, lard. (Liquid oil tends to run down the sides into the bottom of the tin too readily.) Put the tin (without any dough in it) in the oven for about 15 minutes at 180°C. Remove and allow to cool. This begins to ‘burn on’ a thin coating of natural material that ‘conditions’ the new tin before you bake anything in it.

Regular use

With plain doughs (i.e. doughs with no added enrichment of sugar, egg, fruits, vegetables etc), grease your tin with a thin layer of butter, lard etc. before placing the dough in the tin to rise.

For richer and stickier doughs, use a bit more fat (at least when the tin is fairly new) and then dust the inside of the tin with flour (the bran in wholemeal flour is a particularly good ‘release agent’).

Never use a metal knife or other hard implement to help reluctant loaves out of the tin. If they don’t slide out easily, tap the side of the tin with your (oven-gloved) hand or on a pad (e.g. a folded tea towel) on the table. If this doesn’t work, leave the loaves for a few minutes to ‘sweat’: the residual steam coming out of the loaf will condense on the inside surfaces of the tin and often has the effect of dissolving any sticking points.

Care of tins

After baking, if there is any residue of dough left in the tin, wipe it with a damp cloth. If any dough is baked on to the tin, the best approach is to soak the whole tin for an hour or two in warm water; a soft plastic brush should remove the offending material easily.

Never use abrasive pads or steel wool on the inner (non-stick) surfaces of the tin. Always dry your tin well after baking or washing to prevent corrosion of the steel wire and welds.

Tip: if you stack your tins, put some paper or cloth between them to prevent scratching.