On the subject of Proofing...
Does one need to proof loaves upside down? I have been experiencing so much sticking of my dough lately-- resulting in some rather sad mishapened loaves as of late. Granted, I am using a bowl and a very heavily floured piece of cotton (tried to look for linen, no dice...) so it isn't the most ideal set up, I know. But does proofing with the seam side down make a difference in the quality of the loaf? I would use a mold, a basket or bowl again, but would use parchment paper and just simply transfer the dough over to a pre-heated dutch oven-- no flipping required. Would this hinder the dough expansion at all? Tin breads are baked in this manner, you never flip a sandwich loaf or a challah or rolls, so why is it standard pratice 'round these here parts to always proof seam side up? Tommorow I am hoping to try this little "experiment" of mine with my standard YW loaf (fairly high hydration, not sure of the exact % as I go by feel, but it is certainly a wetter dough than most), albeit scaled down so I don't waste a bunch of home milled/sifted flour on another messed up loaf. I was wondering if anyone else does something akin to this?