Specialized Brioche Equipment

A good set of loaf pans should be in every home baker’s arsenal—you’ll use them for much more than just brioche! Select a loaf pan with a light gold or dark nonstick surface. This will ensure that your quick breads brown nicely and release easily. We also recommend buying two sizes: 8½ by 4½-inch and 9 by 5-inch. Be sure to pay attention to the size specified in the recipe—baking with the wrong-size pan will result in squat loaves or loaves that overflow the pan. While not the traditional shape for brioche we found that baking two balls of dough per pan made for an ideal loaf.

Traditional loaves of brioche are round with fluted sides and a slightly conical shape. An 8-inch brioche pan holds the equivalent of one loaf pan. Our favorite pan features a traditional shiny finish and runs about $10. It bakes and releases tall, perfect golden loaves with a flawless, airy crumb.