Emile HenryItalian Bread Loaf Baker | Burgundy

I love the Emile Henry brand. I have 6 different types of bread bakers from Emile Henry and love how my bread turns out. They are the best investment for increasing the quality of my bread. They are lighter than using cast iron, but still heavy duty enough to produce the perfect crumb and crust. Don't get a cheap alternative. These are made from fine burgundy clay from France. They can withstand high heat requirements for baking good sourdough loaves.

I bought this bread loaf baker specifically because I wanted to make loaves instead of sourdough rounds all the time. For reference I usually make sourdough bread in either my Staub or Lodge dutch ovens and this was my first time making bread in a ceramic baker. After reading the EH instructions and seeing a few youtube videos, I gave it a try. I used the same multi-seed recipe I normally do for a boule I bake in my Staub, so it didn't fill out the EH baker, which is a bit larger.I preheated the loaf baker at 485 F (since ceramic generally heats up faster than cast iron) and then once I took it out, I just tipped my bread into it directly from the loaf-shaped proofing basket without greasing the baker or putting in some flour beforehand. I scored my bread, gave it a healthy spritz of water on and around the loaf, sealed it and baked it at 450 F for 25 min, before uncovering and baking for an additional 25 min. It came out perfect - crispy, chewy thin crust with a spongy and soft interior.If I were to double my recipe, I'm sure I would get better height, but I like the smaller size. I was also pleased that I had no need for parchment paper or greasing the baker. My bread just popped right out when I tipped it over and the baker stayed relatively clean. The additinal bonus is that the loaf baker is light, so for those who find enameled and cast iron ovens too heavy, this is an excellent alternative. Also, it cools down much quicker than cast iron and it looks pretty set out on my kitchen hutch. This is made in France so the enamel and craftsmanship is quality and it feels like it will last a long time. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy home baking and would like sandwich-stylebread!

This pan is lovely and oh, so functional. It bakes my loaves perfectly and cleans up well. I like how it looks so much that it is on an open shelf in my pantry.

Great for loaf shaped sourdough

I read other reviews about the baker arriving broken and thought, not me! Yah, it arrived exactly as I hoped it wouldn't. The lid of the product is literally only being held by cardboard, at the very top of the lid of the box and it can and does indeed receive concussive force enough to break it. It's literally being held against the lid of the box, even the slightest mishandle is going to cause it to break, no foam, nothing to help it arrive to your house safely. What a shame it looked like a very nice product. Not worth my time at this point toodles.

Great piece of baking equipment. It’s really improved my loafs. Gets a nice color and crust with much less effort

These are the best bread pans… especially for sourdough! They have really upped my game! My bread is beautiful and easier to make a sandwich with! They clean so easy… you will love them!!

This is a great addition to my bread baking tools. Received the wrong color but the seller very quickly offered solutions. The baker actually arrived earlier than expected. I actually had a loaf of Italian bread rising in the oven when this was delivered. I was so excited. Opened it up, washed and dried it. Brushed the inside with olive oil and dusted with bread flour. When the loaf had risen, I shaped it and put it in the baker and let it rise again for an hour. Per instructions that come with the baker, I brushed the top of the bread with water, put the lid back on and into the oven. Nice crusty outside and soft and airy inside. Very well made and does a beautiful job creating that nice hard crust for artisan breads.