Pans arfe a matter of personal preferrence. I use non-stick pans from Chicago Metalic. I still spray them before loading the shaped loaves.
As to sealing you loaves, it is the final act of the shaping proccess. If you have not been careful during the shaping, no sealing technique will keep you loaf from misbehaving in the oven. Get you dough into as even a rectangle as possible, say 6 X 8 for a 8 X 4 pan. THen you can either fold it in thirds, like a business letter, or roll it. If you roll it, make sure that you do it evenly and try to ensure that it is rolled tightly, with no air pockets between layers. Even, tight rolling, or uniform folding, Should lead to a seam that is straight, and parallel to the front of your board. To seal the seam, use then "butt" of your hand. Check to see that the butt of you hand is parallel to the seam. You will probably have to cock you hand slitghtly to get the line straight. Wiht the heal of you hand, starting at one end of the seam, push straight down on the seam using real pressure and repeat the process across the length of the seam. When you're finished, make sure that the seam is still straight. Turn the loaf over and plop it in the pan!
It's hard to fool dough. If you try to align the seam after the deed is done, the loaf will wait until you're not looking, after it has been put in the pan, and go back to where it wanted to be! All of this gets easier and more natural with practice.
At weddings, my Aunts would poke me in the ribs and cackle "You're next!". They stopped when I started doing the same to them at funerals.www.kyleskitchen.net
