Although you can bake bread directly on a baking sheet, you'll need a few loaf tins to control the shape of your bread - an essential for even-sized slices of toast. An open loaf tin confines the base and sides of the loaf, while letting the top rise nicely in the oven. This makes a light loaf with a good crust. A lidded tin (sometimes called a 'pullman') limits the rising. The finished loaf will be close-grained with a small crust - perfect for dainty sandwiches.

Materials

Despite the name, loaf tins aren't necessarily made of tin. They are more often made of blackened steel, tinned steel or aluminium. They also come in earthenware (think flowerpots), ovenproof glass, flexible silicone and even coiled reeds (known as a 'banneton'). Blackened steel and tinned steel are generally thought to be the best, as they are excellent conductors of heat and strong enough to stop the tin warping at high temperatures.

Heat conduction

You're likely to get the best results if you bake everyday doughs in blackened steel loaf tins with a non-stick coating. The dark surface conducts heat well and gives a darkish crisp crust. Enriched doughs, such as brioche, contain butter and sugar which have a tendency to brown too much if cooked in a dark pan. These doughs do better in pale shiny tins (tinned steel or aluminium), which give them a lighter golden crust.

Loaf sizes

Loaf tin sizes can be confusing; there's a vast range to choose from. If you are a beginner, start off with two or three rectangular tins of the same size. Some recipe writers specify by capacity eg 900g, while others give the dimensions. If in doubt, make sure the tin is just over half-full when the knocked-back dough is placed in it. As a rule of thumb, a tin measuring 17x11x8cm produces a 500g loaf; a 19x12x9cm tin produces a 1kg loaf.

Preparation

Rectangular metal tins should have firmly welded seams and a reinforced rolled rim. A waffle-textured surface helps prevent sticking, but it's still best to lightly spray the inside of the tin with oil. It's also worth lining the base with greased greaseproof paper. Treat non-stick coatings in the same way - the oil will help protect the surface, while the paper will help you turn out the loaf.

Treated with care, your loaf tins should last for ever. To prevent rusting, always dry metal tins thoroughly after washing.