I have purchased a lidded pullman pan here in Australia that is 4"x4"x10". It was sold to me as a 650 gram tin which I assumed to mean you bake 650 gram loaves in it. I can buy 650 gram loaves from the bakery and this is the correct size. I've done a couple of tests and also calculated the dough weight for this size pan and I get very conflcting results. I'm trying to bake a very boring white bread that kids eat. Just flour, water, yeast, salt and sugar. You recommend using 40 oz of dough for the full size pan (4x4x13) so I calculate my pan should use approximately 31 oz or 875 grams. This will produce a loaf much heavier than 650 grams, probably more like 800g. I tried a dough of 650 grams plus 10% giving 715 grams (it actually came out at 770 g with salt, sugar, yeast and improver plus added flour from kneading surface and additional water to compensate this). This produced a baked loaf of 710 grams but it sunk on top upon lid removal and collapsed further as it cooled. The dough behaved properly during first fermant and proof in the tin and I imagin it filled the pan in the final 10 minutes. I baked in a measured oven at 190 Celsius for 25 minutes before removing the lid then a further 15. I'm yet to cut it but I feel that my oven should be hotter and I want to know how to get a 650 gram loaf out of this tin. Is more yeast the answer or could it be the kneading and shaping process? Do I have to stretch the top of the dough the same as if I were using an open tin to create the surface tension? Hi - I'm curious why you want a loaf that's exactly 650g? Why not stick with your 710g loaf, which would simply give you a tighter crumb? Aside from the sinking in the center, were you happy with the taste of the bread? I'd try your 710g recipe again; the sinking in the middle is probably due to 1) an oven that's too hot, so the outsides baked before the center; or 2) underbaking. 190°C is a slight bit cooler than 350°F. I'd give it 30 minutes with the lid instead of 25. Also, what was the protein level of your flour? This will impact everything. I'm unfamiliar with Australian flours... My pullman loaes sometimes sink in the center, and I think it's from underbaking, personally. Try, try again... the experiments are tasty, anyway. PJH

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