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The 4 Best Baguette Pans

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by Ileana Morales Valentine
Bustle/Amazon

Freshly baked bread at home is hard to beat, and making your own baguettes is a worthwhile endeavor. While it's not the easiest bread to perfect, having the right tools (and recipe) on hand will make your job easier. The best baguette pans are made of materials that can withstand high heat and are often perforated for an even and golden crust.

Since most baguette recipes require the oven to be preheated between 425 and 450 degrees, the best baguette pans are heavy-duty enough to withstand those high temperatures. The pans below vary on their maximum temperatures so it's important to select a pan that will hold up to your recipe's specific instructions. Some recipes require a preheat of 500 degrees!

Look for pans made of heavy-duty materials like aluminized steel or high-resistance ceramic to resist warping under high temperatures. Baguette pans made of metal are perforated for even baking and a golden crust; they often have a PFOA-free nonstick coating for easy release of loaves. A pick made from carbon steel lacks the corrosion resistance of aluminized steel, but is a great heat conductor. Ceramic baguette pans are another option that retains heat especially well. By going with this lidded pan made of high-resistance ceramic, you get the added benefit of humidity so your baguettes are more likely to develop that authentic crispy crust that's characteristic of this iconic loaf. Keep in mind ceramic will be heavier and larger (and more expensive) than metal baguette pans, and they can chip or break. Some specialty pans use platinum silicone, which is durable and less resistant to tears than regular silicone (a material that's become quite popular for baking). Pans made of this material are also inherently nonstick, but their flexibility makes them sometimes tricky to unmold.

Most baguette pans are shaped to hold more than one loaf at a time, so you can bake two to four baguettes in one pan. With all this in mind, get ready to bake. Nothing beats the aroma of freshly baked bread at home, and any of these best baguette pans will help you feel like a pro baker.

1. The Best Steel Baguette Pan

The best baguette pan is made of heavy-weight aluminized steel, giving it the benefit of superior heat conduction for an even bake on your loaves. It's a much-loved baking tool with an impressive 4.7-star Amazon rating and over 1,400 reviews. Shoppers report this pan holds up again and again in 450 degrees Fahrenheit, although no temperature range was provided by the manufacturer.

This perforated pan holds up to three loaves and has a PFOA-free nonstick coating for a simple release when baked. It's dishwasher-safe, too, but the manufacturer does recommend hand-washing to maintain the pan in its best condition.

A helpful review: “Full disclosure: I am not a Gadget Gal. Like Alton Brown, I demand that every tool in my kitchen do double or even triple duty. That said, I am thrilled that I broke down and bought this pan! I bake baguettes two or three times a week, to keep my husband and I in good sandwich bread, crostini, and croutons. I do that now using this AMAZING pan. The magic is the perforations. Hot air can circulate all around the dough, cooking the loaves fast and yielding light bread with [a] crisp crust that is a joy to eat. They even make those little dots on the bottoms of each baguette that make them look super professional! (I never realized where those came from - d’oh!) There’s some sort of non-stick coating on this pan. It makes the bread release like magic. I am not sure how durable this will prove to be, but that said, this product well deserves five stars, and I hope it holds up for many happy baking years to come!”

2. The Best Ceramic Baguette Pan

This heirloom-worthy pick from French brand Emile Henry is the best ceramic baguette pan around. The ceramic is designed to resist shock, temperature changes, color fading, and it's safe to use in an oven up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This pick is also microwave- and dishwasher-safe, though it may be a bit heavy and large to fit in either of those. Each of the pan's three wells is ribbed for a nonstick effect, and there are holes in the base and lid to allow circulation of hot air for more even baking.

A helpful review: “The Emile Henry baguette baker is a rather large ceramic, two-part baking set. [...] I was skeptical of this set and thought it to be overpriced. The first two to three times you use this set, the bread will stick (really badly the first time, moderately the second time, and just a little the third time; by the fourth time, it doesn't stick at all!). The lid holds in the moisture, and you start out baking the bread with the lid on; then, for the last part of the baking, take the lid off for browning. The baguettes are wonderfully crispy on the outside, and wonderfully soft on the inside! Consistently! [...] Well worth the $, if you're a French bread/baguette connoisseur! We just tried it with sourdough last night, and it also worked very well, for that! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!”

3. The Best Pan For Making More Than 3 Baguettes

This pan for baking multiple baguettes has four wells, so it lets you bake more baguettes simultaneously. The carbon steel pan is perforated for even heat distribution and has a nonstick Teflon coating. The maximum temperature for this pick is 446 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the manufacturer. Reviewers report the pan holds up in 450 degrees Fahrenheit, but it's important to note that Teflon can emit potentially harmful fumes if used in temperatures that exceed 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This highly rated and affordable pick has over 2,000 reviews and is conveniently dishwasher safe.

A helpful review: “Great to make multiple loaves at once. Lets the heat cook evenly with the holes throughout the pan. Helps to keep the rounded shape you want better. The first loaves I made I didn't have this pan and they turned out flat and wavy. Now they look like professional made loaves of bread. It is also very sturdy, well made and easy to clean.”

4. The Best Pan For Mini Baguettes

For the most adorable bread, you'll want the best pan for mini baguettes. The perforated pan is made of platinum silicone, which is durable and rustproof; this smaller pan is safe to use in the oven up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit and in the microwave, dishwasher, and freezer. Reviewers report the size of the four wells also work well for homemade hot dog buns.

A helpful review: “I bought this in a kitchen store. I used it for the first time today and, half way though eating the first baguette made with it, I came here to buy another one. Perfect crunchy crust with moist interior. No sticking, even with a wet dough and no oiling, and extremely easy cleanup. Yes, they're wider than a traditional baguette so if shape is what you're after, don't get it. But if you want a beautifully browned all around, great tasting mini loaf, I highly recommend this.”

Nice To Have: High-Quality Flour

With so few ingredients in a baguette, using the best all-purpose flour makes a notable difference. This high-quality unbleached flour — with a 4.7-star rating and nearly 1,000 reviews — is made from American hard red wheat for a truly all-purpose flour that holds up in bread and yields tender cakes, too. This 10-pound bag will last through many rounds of baguettes.

King Arthur is also a certified B Corporation, which means the business works with social and environmental good in mind.

A helpful review: “King Arthur flour is known amongst ardent bakers as the best commercial flour available. Your baking results will be better, using this high quality, unbleached flour. I use it for bread making, along with their bread flour. My artisanal baguettes turn out with better rise and better flavor than with the typical grocery store all-purpose flours. Try it yourself, you won't be disappointed!”

Also Great: A Simple Tool For Shaping & Proofing Loaves

A baker's couche may look like any other cloth, but it's an unmatched reusable tool that allows novice and experienced bakers to properly shape loaves. Your dough can be shaped right on the couche and then, when it's ready to bake, a transfer peel or flipping board can be used to move it over into a baguette pan.

This 100% cotton cloth fits six or seven baguettes at a time and is stiff enough to create dividers between them as they proof. This process helps maintain the baguette shape and keep the dough dry for proper crusty baguettes.

A helpful review: “As being someone who bakes bread several times a week for the family, I can safely say that this [couche] is built very well. The fabric is stiffer and takes flour very well. The thickness allows it to stay folded for each baguette while they are rising. The edges are seamed well, and it has lasted a long time with no wear.”