April 9, 2016 - 10:58am
new to bannetons
I am about to use bannetons for the first time instead of just loaves and I have a couple of questions.
I see circular bannetons ranging from 8.5" to 10". I normally make 1.5 lb or 2 lb loaves, what size loaf fits in each. I am also looking at an oval banneton of 10 x 6 and I would like to know a size loaf for that?
The next question is about liners and whether or not to use them. Is there an advantage to using them? Which way is easier to use and clean?
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It is a common practice to proof dough on fabric. The fabric wicks up moisture out of what will become the crust.
I got a piece of Mozart linen and it works wonderfully well as a banneton liner.
Real linen is made from flax, not cotton.
https://www.fabric.com/buy/0347069/mozart-linen-beige
I am awaiting delivery of two ovalish bannetons which I assume will make me bloomers, bread that is:) I do use a small round and wish I'd bought one slightly larger still I opted for the ovals this time around. I use rice flour to coat the inside of mine no cloth and it works fine.
I have wicker baskets that I line with old cotton napkins; they work just fine. I've just started using oval bannetons (the cane ones), and don't use the liners for those because I prefer the pattern that the canes leave on the dough. I flour them with brown rice flour and they work just fine. I knock the excess flour out of them after use, then put them in the drawer under my wall oven while the oven is on to dry them out before I store them. Hopefully that will keep them from growing mould. They do absorb excess moisture from the dough, even without the liners.
My loaves are generally 750 grams (wet dough weight), and the bannetons are quite small; maybe 8" long by 4" wide. The size is perfect for me. The wicker baskets I also use are more round and a little bit larger. I use them when I want to proof loaves for baking in round cast iron pots.
Bruce,
I use a couple of 8.5" oval and an 8.5" bowl banneton. For the ovals, I limit myself to 500g (1.1lbs), because I noticed my dough begins to rise above the upper rim of the banneton during the final proofing. Compared to the ovals, the bowl has approx 40% more total area available for rising. Next weekend, I'm gonna try 700g using the bowl banneton.
I generally use a liner because I've had several frustrating situations when the dough sticks to the wood and becomes misshapen as I flip it over to ready it for scoring. The liner follows the dough and can be gently lifted off the dough. You shouldn't have this problem if you prepare your banneton properly or use the sufficient amount of flour to prevent sticky situations. I imagine having a liner is essential for very wet dough formulas.
Without the liner, the pattern of the banneton imprints on the loaf enhancing the aesthetics of your bread by a factor of 1 trillion.
Hope my input is helpful.
//Mark