The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Rice flour

Anonymous baker's picture
Anonymous baker (not verified)

Rice flour

We've all been there. Building a levain, making the dough, stretch and folding, carefully shaping, refrigerating for 12+ hours all for this loaf of bread that's going to be the tastiest work of art. A time consuming labour of love. Only to find that the blinking thing won't come out of the banneton. The moment you realise that after all that this one, supposedly, minor detail might spoil everything is not a nice one. 

Well this happens to me very often and while we all know that rice flour is perfect for a bannetons I haven't gotten round to buying some for ages. I always get to the shaping when I remember and just think I'll be extra generous with the flour and all will be ok only to find I can't get the dough out without lots of tapping, gentle shaking etc. 

This weekend I bought some rice flour which is a blend of brown and white. Mixed some with bread flour and lined the banneton with it. And what do you know... the dough just popped out. 

Nothing new to everyone here. No amazing revelation. However I'm so impressed I just though I'd shout out about it. 

 

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

I often use it one to four or  one to five, the one being the rice flour.  Gives it a bit more flavour.

At first I thought the photo was for a cook book... silly me.

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

It in equal parts rice flour to bread flour to line my banneton. 

Lol that's the bgrand I'm using. Good quality and everyone knows it in the UK. 

It does rather look like a title to a gluten free cookbook come to think of it. They do a whole range of gluten free flours called "free from". 

Portus's picture
Portus

... caked a bit with the rice flour binding to the rattan, which gives them a patina beyond their years!  I guess this resulted from my having originally prepped them with a slight misting of water, gently dusting with rice flour and then drying them in my proofing box.  All said though, they have not become possessive of the dough that reclines in them!

I understand that a linen lining dusted with rice flour/maize meal should be considered with high hydration dough; I have not found this a necessary interference.

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

In hoping the hydration again. I can handle it a lot better now but was all too disappointing when there as trouble with it sticking to the banneton. Now with rice flour I think it'll be worth trying again. 

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

I use some cane bannetons but mostly just cheap wicker baskets. In the beginning I used rice flour (brown), but now the baskets are so seasoned that plain bread flour works just fine and nothing sticks. Same with the bamboo placemats that I use for couches. :)

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

My banneton will become like yours. It's a little clingy but it'll learn it's ok to let go (of the dough).

:)

hreik's picture
hreik

It's frustrating.  I also do half and half (flour and rice flour).  Sometimes they still stick.... Ah well.  live and learn

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

Stuck something awful. I'm going to slowly work my way back up. Perhaps the higher the hydration the higher the ratio of rice flour?

Nothing worse when you realise the dough and banner on have become one.  

hreik's picture
hreik

rice flour.... but I might be mis-remembering.  lol

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

Is good enough for me. If my dough is really high hydration then rice flour all the way! 

Portus's picture
Portus

... a coarser grain "barrier" than rice flour for high hydration dough? I am thinking here of maize meal, semolina or polenta.  These are more rugged than rice flour and though more porous, may create sufficient space and micro-climate between dough and banneton to allow for evaporation/skin formation however slight. 

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

Another idea to try. Perhaps a mixture of both? 

Dsr303's picture
Dsr303

Hi...I used to have a heck of a time getting bread to release from basket. I started sprinkling bran ..dough comes out like a charm

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

Thank you!

This Day's picture
This Day

Once when I was without rice flour I spun up some rice in the blender to make flour.  It wasn't as fine a grind as what you buy at the store, but it worked.  If you prefer to dust your banneton with bran and don't have any, just sift some whole-grain flour, and the bran will be left in the sifter.

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

If only I had thought of this all those time I had forgotten to buy. 

That's what this forum is for! 

Thank you. 

bread1965's picture
bread1965

I decided to give up on dusting my baskets. It's been a hit and miss thing, but definitely rice flour changed everything. But in the last year I've been using flour sack cloth. I bought it on the cheap from amazon. I rub a bit of rice flour on it with my hand, and drop it in the basket (flour side up of course). Then I drop in my dough. When I flip out the dough, the cloth is slightly damp and peels off nicely. I'll never go back.. give it a try.. what I bought was something like this.. https://www.amazon.ca/DII-738215863393-Flour-Sack-Towels/dp/B004E5RYSI/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1509935226&sr=8-7&keywords=flour+sack+dish+towels 

WatertownNewbie's picture
WatertownNewbie

Rice flour is spectacular at avoiding the sticky banneton exit.  There are two things that I sometimes do to help the dough exit the banneton.  One is to tilt the banneton slightly and move it around so that the tilt essentially either separates ever so slightly the upper edge of the risen dough or lets me know where there might be a spot sticking.  The second thing is to put the banneton in the fridge for perhaps ten minutes, which seems to help the exit too.

Nothing like having the top of the dough split open or rip from bonding with the banneton.  I tend toward a mix of white rice flour and whole wheat flour.  One final thing I do is use a pastry brush after my loaf has cooled a bit after the bake and sweep off the rice flour, which does not have a particularly good taste as a coating.

Glad you have found euphoria in rice flour.