I love a good bargain! (Some of my favorite kitchen pans have come from the thrift store.) You can bake it on its side. I suspect the hardest thing will be figuring out how to grease the tube!

Don't forget to post a picture of your bread if you can. We'd love to see it.

On it's back side.

That as standing up!

Don't fill it all the way.( 2/3 )

Lou

you bake the first loaf and tell the rest of us...
there was an identical set at my local thrift shop....I didn't buy it...it wasn't the 79 cents but rather the storage space.

IIRC those are from the Pampered Chef

(slinking away because I have two...for years....still haven't used them)

I think I will send it, along with a perforated French bread pan, to a friend who bakes far more than I do. He also bakes for his children,

Hmmm...yes, greasing that could be a problem if the tubes aren't big enough to insert your hand. It's hard to tell from the photo. I think I would pour the oil or melted shortening/butter (depending what you use)into the "petals, moving the tube around to coat. Then, when I made my tube of dough to put in, I would oil before insertion as well. Of course, it would probably be easier to use one of those cooking oil sprays, but I don't like them.

Ok Sherry, I will plan on Monday unless I hear from you.

Karen

I have two of them I have not used also. They are now in the garage in the garage sale basket. The directions say to use parchment paper in them or they might not release. I can't for the life of me imagine stuffing parchment paper in them and having it adhere to the shape. Try them. If they work, tell me how you did it and I will retrieve mine and try them.

I'll try it once with parchment and see. I would imagine that as the batter or dough expands it would push the parchment into the shape. I'll get some frozen dough for a quickie test. Won't happen until the end of this coming week. I'll be out of town working.

According to the instructions on the Pampered Chef site (don't know if yours is PC, but obviously the principle is the same), the parchment is for when you use the thing as an ice-cream mold, and then it only goes at the end, to seal off a vent hole. I don't think you're meant to line the entire tube with parchment.

I'm linking the Use & Care page.

They never have cool stuff like that at our thrift store.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bread Tubes

I can get my hand in it easily enough to grease it. I think this one is Pampered Chef. It has the Pampered Chef chicken logo on it. Mine only came with one end cap but foil should work for the other end I think.

Thanks for the link!

I have been thinking about getting them to make meatloaf in.

dcarch

I have all three of those and used them alot when my kids were little. You can use them with bread dough to make shaped sandwiches, or our favorite, quick bread recipes for fun shaped slices of yumminess! I'm glad someone linked to the directions for you. I was going to unearth my instructions and scan them for you! I remember baking with the tubes standing upright, with either foil or parchment as a barrier sealer wrapped around the bottom end of the tube before putting the cap on. Some recipes didn't need the top cap. You could make shaped meatloaf sandwiches by doing both the bread and the meatloaf!

As for greasing, spray oil is your friend! :)

Use Spray oil.
Lou

I've got this set and they are a lot of fun.... I use spray oil as Lou rec'd. I've only used them for yeast breads.... . pumpernickel, rye etc as they make awesome little finger sandwiches.

Bought them years ago from PC

Grace

I also bought a set at the thrift store and have not used them yet! I am so glad to find out how to use them! Now I won't be so intimidated. My set says PC Bakeware on the box so they must be like the ones Grace has!
Joann

That pan is one of those things like the two-part omellette pan. Remember those? They folded over. Novel, but did not work so well.

finally: I would think meatloaf might shrink and/or not keep its shape - have you found that to be the case?

I know there are specific baking sprays, Yasou recommended 'Release' to me for my bundt pans but its a paste. I have a can of 'White Cap Baking Release' that I picked up at Surfas but I haven't tried it yet.

A baker in our office used to bake the flower shape, slice, spread with cream cheese mixed with dry Ranch dressing mix, and top with very thinly sliced cucumber. Made the best little sandwiches that you (I) couldn't stop eating.

Teresa