America's Test Kitchen

The Challenger Bread Pan made gorgeous loaves of bread. Its spacious interior accommodated both round and oval loaves, and because the interior was dark, the crusts were especially well browned. While its thick walls and heavy construction made it a bit of a load to lift, they also ensured that it had great heat retention. We liked being able to safely load unbaked dough onto the shallow base, and we loved that it came with two sets of handles that allowed us to adjust our grips when maneuvering it in the oven or opening and closing its lid. It’s not cheap, but it will serve you well for years to come.

expert-review

The Challenger Bread Pan Aced Our Bake Tests, but Most Novices Don’t Need It

I'm a professional baker and this cast iron baking pan is my secret to making incredible bread at home

yotpo

TechGearLab

For optimal performance with the Camp Chef Cast Iron pan, we preheated the pan before greasing it. Then, when our test banana bread dough was placed in the dish, it baked to create a caramelized, evenly browned crust that was particularly enjoyable. This pan is for die-hard cast iron users; it is capable of baking your bread to perfection, with patience and a little bit of grease. It scored high points for heat distribution and produced the most beautiful loaves out of any other pan in our review. For the best experience with releasing loaves with ease, we recommend greasing the cast iron. 
As is the case with most cast iron products, the main downside to the Camp Chef pan is its weight. This pan weighs a lot and can be difficult to maneuver around with in the kitchen. Most testers had a hard time pulling this one out of the oven with one hand. 

For optimal performance with the Camp Chef Cast Iron Bread Pan, we preheated the pan before greasing it. Then, when our test banana bread dough was placed in the dish, it baked to create a caramelized, evenly browned crust that was particularly enjoyable. This pan is for die-hard cast iron users; it is capable of baking your bread to perfection, with patience and a little bit of grease. It scored high points for heat distribution and produced the most beautiful loaves out of any other pan in our review. For the best experience with releasing loaves with ease, we recommend greasing the cast iron. 
As is the case with most cast iron products, the main downside to the Camp Chef pan is its weight. This pan weighs a lot and can be difficult to maneuver around with in the kitchen. Most testers had a hard time pulling this one out of the oven with one hand. 

Bread Pan Comparison