April 3, 2020 - 2:22pm
Proofing in Banaton
I have a simple question. Why is it that we are supposed to put the shaped loaf into the banaton with the seam side UP? It seems counterintuitive to me, since the tension is on the TOP of the loaf; not on the bottom. Yet, my bread does turn out pretty good most of the time.
I don't have a round banaton. When I make boules (rarely these days), I never do that. I just put the dough on parchment and place with the top UP in a glass bowl, not with the seam up.
BTW, I bake sourdough. My starter, which I have had for about 3 years now, is very active. Even if I have not baked for several months all I need to do is feed it a couple of times over 24 hours and BOOM.
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Seam side up is so they gave a clean surface to score. I don’t score so I place my dough seam side down and let the loaf rip as it wishes when it bakes. I love the organic looK it gives.
If you're using a parchment in your final proofing vessel and then lifting the dough (or bread) out, then you're baking with the seam side down for the final loaf. If your final proofing takes place in a banneton, placing it with the seam up means that when you turn it out onto a tray or into a baking vessel the seam will be down for the final loaf.
The only time you'd want to proof in a banneton with the seam down is if, like Danni, you prefer to use the seam as your 'scoring' (the place where the loaf will expand apart during the bake.)