How it works: Pan volume method: dough weight = pan volume × dough per litre. Volume uses the inside rim size (length × width × height, or π × radius² × height for a round pan). An open-top pan gets 400 g per litre, which reproduces the classic guidance of about 1½ lb of dough for an 8½ × 4½ in pan and 2 lb for a 9 × 5 in pan. A lidded Pullman gets 280 g per litre, in line with typical pain de mie recipes, so the dough fills the corners without forcing the lid.

On this page

Matching dough to the tin

Put too little dough in a loaf pan and you get a short, flat-topped loaf with a dense crumb. Put in too much and it mushrooms over the rim, tears at the sides or, in a lidded pan, jams the lid. The right amount depends almost entirely on the size of the pan, and this calculator works it out from the pan’s volume.

It is aimed at home bakers with a pan that does not match the recipe, anyone buying a new tin, and anyone baking a square-sided sandwich loaf in a lidded Pullman pan.

The pan volume method

Dough weight = pan volume × dough per litre. The calculator measures the pan’s volume from its inside size at the rim and multiplies it by a density that suits the loaf style.

For an open-top pan it uses 400 g of dough per litre. That figure reproduces the classic advice of about 1½ lb of dough for an 8½ × 4½ in pan and about 2 lb for a 9 × 5 in pan. A lidded Pullman uses 280 g per litre, in line with typical pain de mie recipes: the dough still rises to fill the corners, but it does not force the lid off.

Treat the answer as a starting point. Pans with sloping sides hold less than their rim size suggests, and a rich, soft dough rises further than a lean whole grain one.

Choosing your pan

Pick your Loaf pan: 9 × 5 × 3 in loaf pan, 8½ × 4½ × 2¾ in loaf pan, 13 × 4 × 4 in Pullman pan, 9 × 4 × 4 in Pullman pan or Custom size.
For a custom pan, choose the Pan shape, then enter Length, Width or Diameter, and Height, measured inside at the rim.
Set Number of pans.
Choose a Loaf style: Open top, domed loaf, Lidded, square loaf, or My own dough density if you have a figure of your own for Dough per litre of pan.

The results give Dough per pan, Total dough, Pan volume and the Dough density used. Switching to Imperial shows ounces and inches instead of grams and centimetres.

Trying it with three pans

Start with an 8½ × 4½ in pan, one of the most common sizes in American kitchens. The calculator returns Dough per pan 689 g and Pan volume 1.72 L. Switch to Imperial and it reads 24.3 oz and 7.3 US cups, right on the traditional 1½ lb.

The larger 9 × 5 in pan asks for 885 g, with a pan volume of 2.21 L.

Choose the 13 × 4 × 4 in Pullman pan and the style changes to Lidded, square loaf by itself. The calculator asks for 954 g of dough in a 3.41 L pan at 280 g per litre. Bake the same pan with the lid off and choose Open top, domed loaf: now it wants 1,363 g, because an open loaf is allowed to dome above the rim.

Finally, a European tin measuring 25 × 11 × 7.5 cm, two of them. With Custom size and an open top, each pan takes 825 g, so the batch totals 1,650 g for a 2.06 L pan.

Turning the weight into a recipe

Once you know the dough weight, the sourdough recipe builder builds a sourdough formula around it; enter the result as the dough weight per loaf. For a yeasted or enriched recipe you already have, the baker’s percentage calculator scales it to any total dough weight.

Tips for tidy tin loaves

Measure the inside, not the outside. Rim dimensions on the label are often external.
Grease the pan well, especially the corners of a Pullman, so the square edges release cleanly.
Watch the proof, not the clock. In an open pan, bake when the dough crowns about 2 cm (¾ in) above the rim; in a Pullman, slide the lid on when the dough is about 1 cm (½ in) below it.
Adjust by about 10% at a time if a loaf comes out squat or overflows.
Scale cakes differently. For batters, the cake pan size converter scales by area to keep the depth right.

Loaf pan FAQ

Why is the lidded figure lower than the open one?

In a closed pan the dough has nowhere to go but the corners. Too much dough compresses the crumb or pushes the lid up, so a lidded loaf needs less dough than the same pan open.

My pan has sloped sides. Will the answer be too high?

Slightly. Sloped sides trim the volume a little compared with the rim size. If your first loaf overflows, reduce the dough by about 10% next time.

Can I use this for brioche or milk bread?

Yes. Rich doughs rise tall, so they often suit the lower end. Try the lidded density, or your own figure, if an enriched loaf crowns too high.

Does the calculator work for round tins?

Yes. Choose Custom size, then Round, and enter the diameter and height. The volume is worked out from the area of the circle.