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Although we’re known for our pizza pans and tools, LloydPans also sells quite a bit of bakeware. One of our most popular item is our Pullman Pans. These straight-sided loaf pans with lids offer the perfect confined space to bake a Pullman loaf with a texture that is firm and fine, and a crust that is minimal, soft and golden.
We’ve sold a lot of Pullman Pans over the years, but until recently, have never given much thought into why they’re called Pullman loaves. So, we took a break from our normal R&D work in the lab and dug deep into the history of the Pullman loaf. Here are five things we learned.
The square beyond compare
What makes a Pullman loaf unique? For starters, it’s a square sandwich bread with four distinct corners. It’s baked in a pan with a lid to prevent the top from rounding and splitting. Outside of the shape, the Pullman Loaf shares many of the same characteristics of a standard white sandwich bread: a delicate fine crumb and soft golden crust.
Pullman loaves are named after Pullman train cars
Space is at a minimum on a train, and the Pullman Company is actually credited with making popular the use of long lidded-bread pans that take up little space. In the compact kitchens of rail cars, Pullman Pans stacked nicely and took up the same amount of space as two standard round-topped loaf pans.
Before Pullman loaves, there was Pain de Mie
Although the Pullman Company is credited with the naming of the Pullman Pan, the use of lidded bread pans dates back to the early 18thcentury, when European bakers started using lidded pans to bake breads with thin crusts.
Pullman loaves have many uses
Although the Pullman loaf is synonymous with sandwich bread, there are actually quite a few great uses for these square loaves. We discovered that it’s the perfect shape and texture for croutons and also makes for a great French toast.
Pullman Loaves are easy to make!
Other than purchasing a Pullman Pan,making and baking a Pullman loaf should be a piece of cake for any bread baker. Here is one of our favorite recipes from the team at Serious Eats.
