Challenger Breadware Bread Pan - Made in the USA - Cast Iron Loaf Pan with Lid for Homemade Breadmaking Sealed Bread Cloche Inverted Dutch Oven Set for Baking

As a 53-year veteran of cooking exclusively with cast iron (and having baked bread for that long), I was shocked at the price of the Challenger Bread Pan. My Lodge Combo or the even better Lodge 7 qt dutch oven both turn out nice sourdough boules (though they can't fit baquettes or bigger batards). But I was intrigued and bit the bullet. I was relieved and delighted to see my first sourdough bread come out of the Challenger with that crust I was never able to get in my other cast iron dutch ovens--chewy instead of crusty, with those tiny blisters. The bottom crust was perfect also, and I was very happy with the oven spring of the bread. I think the reason for its unique success is that the thick gauge top and bottom fit together so snugly it creates its own mini steam oven. I could not duplicate the results with my other dutch ovens or loaf pans using extra methods for steam, which is harmful to ovens. It's a heavy pan, but the design makes it much less likely to get burned than using dutch ovens for baking sourdough bread, even if they are not inverted. And as a great-grandma it's not too heavy for me to maneuver in and out of in my small wall oven (love those well-placed handles!) and hang it up on my wall afterward--top row, 2nd from right. (I ran out of room to hang the bottom, so it's stowed in the woodstove oven.) This wonderful sourdough bread pan was thoughtfully designed for the purpose, and I look forward to using it several times a week. All my pans are heirlooms, but I think the Challenger will be a special heirloom among them. . .

This is a wonderful item, but the one thing that I didn’t know was that you have to heat it up for about an hour before you can use it and that cost money otherwise it is beautifully made

I love this bread pan more than using my LeCreuset Dutch oven for sourdough baking. I get perfect crusts every time! It arrives pre-seasoned and ready to use. The price had me pause for a while, but I don’t regret this purchase and use it twice weekly.

I finally bit the bullet and spent the money on a Challenger bread pan and it makes a big difference in the bread baked inside and the well designed unit itself with the strategically placed handles. If you bake a lot of bread and want top notch results with the oven spring you get on your loaves and the crispy crust created by trapping steam inside I recommend buying the Challenger Bread Pan. It's built to last, heavy cast iron construction and was shipped in a bespoke box created specifically to fit the pan & lid and protect it well during shipping. If you've been using dutch ovens or other baking vessels you'll truly appreciate this upgrade it is to use this pan.

I love this cast iron pan. It is definitely HEAVY. It does a great job baking my sourdough. I switched to heating it to 475 for a 45 minute pre-heat and then dialing oven temp back down to 435 after the bread goes in or it almost seems to get too hot (those are the recommended temps suggest in the pan directions). My oven has a relatively small cavity so it can be a bit hard to maneuver the cover off when baking on the center rack. I wish the lid handles were turned slightly more upward to easy removal when it’s rocket hot. It is an expense, heavy (22lb) pan, but it’s made a big difference in my baking. Be careful to remove all water after cleaning with chain mail or it can rust lightly in oven during drying.