Using Canapé Molds

This image is from the manufacturer, Norpro

If you spend any time at garage sales or in thrifts shops, you have probably seen these tin tubes for sale, and perhaps wondered what they are for. These unique pans are canapé molds, used to bake bread that have decorative shapes when sliced. The slices are used as a base for hors d'oeuvres or appetizers. I see them often on eBay, Etsy, and when thrifting, which suggests that the people who buy them don't use them very much. Personally, I'm a huge fan.

The word canapé has its origins in the French word for "couch", the bread being the base for the toppings, like a person sitting on a couch, although crackers or sliced vegetables are also used for that purpose. Originally ordinary slices of bread were cut into shapes using cookie cutters, a practice that that dates back to the Renaissance. Canapé molds or "bread tubes" were not invented until the mid-20th century, when companies like Valtrompia sold them at a time when cocktail parties were gaining in popularity. Pampered Chef and Norpro have also sold them.

Image from norpro.com

Canapé molds are generally used with yeast bread dough after it has risen once, been punched down and kneaded. It has been my experience that 10 ounces of dough is the perfect amount. The sole exception to this rule of thumb is the five pointed star mold--it holds only 8 ounces of dough. You coat the interior of the tube with cooking spray (including the lids), and after weighing out your dough, gently roll it into a tube on the counter so that it can be dropped easily into the mold.

Allow the dough to rise with the mold standing upright on the counter. Let the dough rise until it nearly reaches the top, leaving an inch or so for oven spring. The instructions that come with these tubes say to bake them standing up in the oven as well, removing an oven rack and keeping the molds upright on a jelly roll pan. I must confess, I have almost always baked mine lying on their sides and never had a problem UNLESS I was too lazy to measure and put too much dough in the tube!.

The instructions also say to bake the bread for 45 minutes to an hour. That may seem like a long time, but remember that the dough is in an enclosed space and moisture will escape very slowly, so even if the loaf reaches 190-195 degrees F. after 30 minutes, it will still be damp and yeasty in the interior and the outside of the loaf may not be browned..

Allow to cool in the tube for 10 to 15 minutes before attempting to slide the loaf out onto a wire rack.

BTW, buy yourself a glass washing puff (Dollar General, Walmart, etc.) to wash out the tubes--so much easier than a wash cloth on a wooden spoon! Be sure to dry them thoroughly because they are slightly prone to rust.

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So what to do with your fun shapes? If you use Pinterest, there are HUNDREDS of pins about canapés and bruschetta.

Here are some ideas that I have used in the past.

• Use the shaped slices for sandwiches for toddlers. They are smaller than full slices of bread--perfect for little hands! Sometimes a fun shape can also convince a child to try a new sandwich filling besides PB&J. Keep a couple of heart or flower shaped loaves in the freezer for the "special sandwiches you only get at Grandma's house."

  
  

• Use them to make crostini or garlic toast for a holiday dinner.

  
  

  

• Put a different flavor of dough in each shape and pair them with your toppings (this is easier if you have more than one tube of each shape). I once had an iced tea garden party where each canapé shape had an accompanying salad: ham salad on Bacon Dill Bread, chicken salad on Honey Oatmeal Bread, etc. I know that sounds waaaay too Martha Stewart for my style, but I only did it once!

  
  

  

  Fill a couple of tubes and then bake the rest as a loaf.

• Use my Basic Roll Dough to make several different shapes, cut them into thick slices, then put them in a nice basket for the buffet when you are serving soup or stew to a crowd.

These are a bit thin--cut them thicker for soup.

Do you have a set of these canapé molds? If so, leave a comment on how you use them in your baking. If you don't have a set, keep your eyes open at thrift shops and garage sales, and don't pay more than $2.99 apiece!