Sheet Pan Sizes and Dough Troughs
Sheet pans sizes are categorized differently than other baking pans. The following will help you understand what is meant by quarter half and full size pans. Also food boxes and containers like the dough trough I always use are also sized the same way, half, full, quarter, eighth.
I’ve had a lot of people asking me about my dough trough I use in my videos. I kept telling people they are 1/4 size Cambro Translucent food pans with lid (it’s what they were called when I purchased them, only it may have been wrong). I gave out links but then there seemed to be a problem. Some professional sites were calling a quarter sized pan a half size instead. Sooooo I decided to do a bit of research on that because I have worked in bakeries and I know what a full size, half size and quarter size pan looks like. A full size pan in bakery terms is a large pan that bakeries use in their large ovens.
- A full size pan is 26 x 18 (with usually a 1″ depth)
- A half size pan is 13 x 18 (notice that the 26 is cut in half)
- A quarter size pan is 13″ x 9″ (notice the 18 is cut in half and so is the original 26″)
A half size pan at 13″ x 18″ will be recognized as your typical cookie baking sheet pan.
A quarter size pan is often 13 x 9.5 instead of 13 x 9. Those who bake brownies and cakes will recognize this size as a pan often used for a flat cake or brownies.
.Also another problem occurs when pan sides are deeper than the 1″ and they slope. The top measurement will not be the same as the bottom measurement.
I have found that some vendors are calling a half size pan a quarter size pan and visa versa.
I bought my food pans from a restaurant supply and they called the food pan they sold me a quarter sized food pan. Which makes sense to me because the largest dimension (at the top) is 10.25 x 11.75 and that is for the lid. The bottom is 10.5 x 8.25 approximately. So that is fairly close to a quarter sized pan. Yet I noticed most of the places on the internet call this size a half pan size.
.Even Cambro itself seems to call a pan that size a half size pan. Right on the bottom of mine it says 1/2 x 6″ which means a half pan six inches deep.
Whew!! So I guess you will have to purchase by approximate sizes rather than by calling it a quarter size pan or a half pan. It is very confusing. So look at this chart and see the sizes and try to purchase your food pans by the dimensions instead of what they are called (whether it be half or quarter).
.Another problem occurs when the vendor rounds off the measurements. One site will say the size is 12 3/4 and another will say 12.8 or even round it off to 13. So just get it as close as possible, it is most likely a rounded off size anyway.
Here are some links to some Amazon food pans and lids that are the right size. I love this size because it fits in the fridge pretty easily and it also fits into my Brod and Taylor proofer.
.I have a 4″ deep pan and a 6″ deep pan and this vendor offers both sizes:
6″ depth (9.4 quart): Cambro Dough Trough
4″ depth (6.3 quarts) : Cambro Dough Trough
Lid which fits both 4 and 6″ sizes: Trough Lid
I suggest you look around though, I got mine cheaper at Webstaurant but usually the shipping is higher and there might be a minimum order size. They might be more expensive at Amazon but it is convenient and you can often get free shipping. So you will have to decide.
Bottom line: Don’t purchase by full half or quarter size, look at the actual (or rounded off) measurements. If you must order by half or full sizes, ask for actual dimensions too or look to see if actual dimensions are given.
See more about baking equipment here: Baking Equipment that I Use.
Many of the links are affiliate links. If you pull a link to your desktop and always use it as a portal to Amazon you will not be charged more and you will be helping me out.
The following are not affiliate links but the cheapest place I’ve found to purchase many of the pans you might need for baking:
Lid that will fit both troughs
Teresa L Greenway
Ordered the 4 inch trough and lid sold separately. Couldn’t figure why lid was more than twice the price of the trough. But needed to have a treat this week, so ordered it anyway. Came today. Really nice trough and 6 really nice lids!! Checked back at amazon listing and nowhere does it say there are six. Now I think I will order more troughs.(Maybe that was the idea all along) lol Fran Brellenthin
Ah that’s great! I purchased several troughs and lids myself because I really like them. You won’t be disappointed. 🙂
I really enjoyed the class, I have to admit even with really flouring my baton with it being in fridge all night it stuck I tried to wiggle it like you said but still stuck. It might be because of my stroke my hand is not the greatest lol that might be the problem but as you say the loaf is so forgiving kim
Having a loaf stick to your banneton isn’t fun for sure. However, if you continue to brush it out (leaving a residue of flour) after use, then it will become seasoned and better at releasing the dough. Also if you sprinkle some flour on your loaf and smooth it over with your hand, before placing the dough in the banneton, it will help it release.
the confusion comes from sheet pan vs hotel pan. what you are using as dough troughs are called “hotel pans” or in europe “gastronorm pans” in restaurants. a full size or 1/1 (full) “hotel” pan is 12”x20” and come in fractions there of… 1/2 (half short and long), 1/3 (third), 1/4 (fourth), 1/6 (sixth) & 1/9 (ninth) pans. occasionally you can can find 2/3 and 1/8 pans.
Thanks for the valuable information Daniel. It’s always nice to find out more!