How to Bake Bread in a Can

A fresh, homemade slice of bread with melted butter complements any meal, from a 5-course gourmet dinner to simple soup and salad. Bread is traditionally made in a bread machine or in the oven in a loaf pan, which causes the bread to form in a traditional loaf shape as it bakes. An alternative is to make bread in a metal coffee can. The bread will rise and bake inside the can, and the finished loaf will take on the can's shape. Does this Spark an idea?

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Bread dough
1 or 2 lb. metal coffee can
Butter
Flour
Kitchen towel
Cookie sheet
Cooking thermometer
Butter knife
Plate

Instructions

- 1
  
  Prepare the bread dough according to the recipe or package directions.
- 2
  
  Grease the inside of a 1 or 2 lb. metal coffee can with butter. If you are making a large batch of bread, more than one can may be required.
- 3
  
  Cover the inside of the can with a light dusting of flour.
- 4
  
  Fill the can half full with the bread dough.
- 5
  
  Cover the can with a kitchen towel and set the can upright in a warm spot, such as on a window sill or on top of a warm oven, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size and is raised slightly above the top of the can.
- 6
  
  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Once the oven is warm, remove the kitchen towel and place the coffee can upright on a cookie sheet. Set the cookie sheet on the oven's center rack.
- 7
  
  Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it has reached an internal temperature of approximately 190 to 200 degrees F on a cooking thermometer and the top of the bread is golden brown.
- 8
  
  Remove the coffee can from the oven, sit it upright and let it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- 9
  
  Run the blade of a butter knife around the edges of the bread and tip the coffee can over onto a plate to release the bread from the can.