The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Question Re Flouring New Brotform

Marni's picture
Marni

Question Re Flouring New Brotform

I have just been given four lovely brotfom baskets as a birthday present and am really looking forward to using them for today's baking! (1,2,3 sourdough, one of which will be rosemary with olive oil.)

I searched the site to make sure I'm doing things right and so last night I gave them a quick rinse in HOT water and dried them immediately in a 200F oven.  Now I am trying to coat them in rice flour (I have been using rice flour to coat linen/cotton tea towel lined baskets for a couple of years now - works perfectly.) but try as I might, the flour keeps falling out of the ridges.  I have finally floured one fairly well, but any little tap knocks the flour out again.  I do not plan to grease/spray/oil these baskets.  They are willow or rattan or something like that.

I've searched the 'net for pictures of properly floured brotform baskets, but nothing comes up.  If anyone with more experience has a photo to share, I'd be grateful.

Also any tips I might have missed would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Marni

LindyD's picture
LindyD

Nice gift. 

I use a mix of AP and rice flour, coating the forms just before I use them.  I rub the flour into the space between the coils, where it does remain.  Just keep packing it in.

Try adding some AP flour to your rice flour; that may help.

jackie9999's picture
jackie9999

There are a few videos on breadtopia.com where Eric shows how he prepares the banneton with flour.  The wholewheat sourdough is one...he uses his hands to coat with flour..I prefer a little glass shaker jar that I keep full of brown rice flour, which is all I use. Like you, I don't use any sorts of sprays. Eric shows in one video, not sure which one, where he rinses the just emptied banneton with hot water and leaves upside down on the stove to dry..this has worked very well for me.

Lately I have taken to patting in the sides of the just turned out boule so that I get a slightly more oblong shape which fits in my toaster much better than the round loaf :)

 

hanseata's picture
hanseata

I use Brotformen, round and oval, for many of my breads. I do nothing but sprinkling them with the kind of flour that's also in the bread. Starting on the sides, turning the baskets slowly around, and doing the bottom last, enough flour sticks between the willow coils to make sure the bread comes out easily after rising.

After each use I rinse the basket with hot water, and brush out any flour remnants. The Brotformen are like new even after three years of use, and the breads look very pretty with their flour ring pattern.

Karin

Marni's picture
Marni

Thank you all for your helpful replies!  I use a shaker to flour my baskets, so I added some AP flour to the mix and it did stick better.  I also rubbed it in (which I was doing with the straight rice flour too) and it looked pretty good.

Two baskets are in the fridge now and I plan to bake them tonight.  I'll see what happens!

Marni

BellesAZ's picture
BellesAZ

Pictures please.. what a nice gift you received!

Mason's picture
Mason

I had this problem too. Loaves --esp higher hydrationones-- stuck badly in the banneton, too.

If you spray it with oil after you have dried the brotform, the flour will stick to it, but stick to the dough more, and the bread will come out easier.

You only need to do this for the first use.  You will find the subsequent flourings dust much more easily.  

After that repeat only every 6 months or so, depending on use.  After use, just use a dry paintbrush to brush away the flour and store in a dry place.

See the instructions on preparing bannetons for first use here, at the very bottom of the page: http://www.fantes.com/brotforms.html

Enjoy!

Mason

linder's picture
linder

Thanks for all the info re: brotforms, just received two of them for my birthday and am anxious to use them.  This site has been a really great find.  So much information available here.