Bread Flipping Boards
Hey All,
Just wanted to share with you an idea for bread flipping boards. The only source I knew about was the SFBI store, which has flipping boards for about $15.00... Here's the link:
http://www.sfbi.com/baking_supplies.html
Now being the cheap person that I can be sometimes, I didn't think it made much sense (cents) for me to spend $15 + shipping for a narrow wooden board...
What I came across at the local artshop yesterday made total sense. In the section where they sell balsa wood and other types for model building, they have basswood planks in varying lengths, widths, and thicknesses... They are made by a company called "Midwest Products Co., Inc."
So I purchased 2 pieces in the following sizes:
4" x 3/16" x 24" and 6" x 3/16" x 24". Both seem perfect for flipping loaves, and peeling them into the oven. These set me back about $12 including tax.
Here's the link to Midwest Products: http://midwestproducts.com/catalog_sa2.asp?srch_grp_id=8&sa1_id=15
Hope this helps.
Tim
Tim,
Sounds like good resourcefulness on your part. I cut my own and sanded the edges to a taper to make it easier to retrieve the bread off the stone and I think it helps in loading too. After some experimenting I have finally gotten confident enough to load directly onto the stone from the couch or after turning the basket over on to the flipper. They really are handy.
Eric
Hi Eric,
I know this is an old post but I'm trying to figure out the best way to get my long baguettes loaded onto my 30 inch stone. I came across your comment that you go directly from couche to stone. I've thought about that but would be concerned that, to accomodate slashing and steaming, the oven door would be left ajar too long. Can you say more about how you manage this?
I think it's one of the things that once you have them, you don't need more of them... I was looking for something that I didn't have to make, or mail order... I'll post some pics when I have a chance...
I'm preparing to make 24 baguettes in 24 hours... I'll let you know how they work out...
Tim
Tim -- I made one of these from basswood a year ago or so, and it works like a dream. I had a whole supply of it from when I used to make dollhouse miniatures, but I didn't have any that was thick enough, so I stapled two 1/4" pieces together in several places.
Suggestion -- look in a hobby or craft shop, or one that is slanted toward dollhouses. I would not use balsa -- it's soft and would probably break over time -- basswood is harder. If one wanted something fancy, there are also places that cut maple to this size. Can't give a supplier, because I have been out of the hobby for 20 or so years, but it's out there, I'm sure.
I was thinking about maple, but I'd have to mail order it from rockler.com, and it would be just the same as getting the flipping boards from SFBI... Funny, I live in NYC where you should be able to find anything... Thin maple boards? Nope...
I think I'll be happy with the ones that I purchased...
Thanks. I was just asking my husband about finding me something suitable for that purpose with out having to pay an arm and leg for. We were thinking of cedar planks, but I bet those would be more expensive.
I recall reading a post by Howard (Holds99), describing how he made his flipping board out of cardboard and covered it with pantyhose (clean, natch). And MiniO, mentioning she used a square of cardboard to cover the glass window of her oven when adding water for steam.
I tried their methods, they work perfectly, and best of all, they cost only the time it took to cut the cardboard: four minutes, tops.
The creativity of some of the Loafers (Loafians??) goes far beyond baking!
I made one from the side of a wooden wine case. Cos d'Estournel 1975, as it happens. I just sanded it smooth and rub flour into it before each use.
You want something that is sturdy, pretty rigid but light weight.
David
In hia Crust book, Richard Bertinet suggests that the sliding top of a magnum of champagne box works well as a baguette peel.
I've just bought some hardboard today!
I made mine from a leftover piece after re-sawing some pine 1x6. It's only an 1/8 of an inch thick or so, but seems plenty strong enough for a baguette or batard. Because it was so thin I didn't even bother to bevel the edge. I rub it with rice flour, but I think maybe regular flour would stick better and not fall all over the floor/counter. I'll try that next time...
edh
Mine is a 4"x24"x1/4" board from the "hobby" wood section of the local Lowes store. One edge can be rounded off some with a sander. It works fine and the cost is minimal.
Greg
I stapled some linen over a piece of 3/8" plywood. Rub it with flour once in awhile. Works great for me.
Wow! This is a pretty good discussion on flippin' bread...
As I read through this thread I see a small amount of confusion between the flipping board and a peel.
All of the ideas are great, but a flipping board is used to move a baguette (or other bread) from the couche to the peel (if you proof the baguette with the seam up, you roll it over on the couche with the aid of the flipping board, then on to the the flipping board by lifting the couche(where it is once again seam up) and then invert it onto the peel (or the loader if you have one >sigh<). This can be thin board or cardboard as long as it is stiff enough to do the brief "flip" onto the peel.
The peel is used to load the bread into the oven. It needs to be pretty sturdy to take the trip to the oven and usually tapered a bit so that the bread can be delivered to the stone more easily.
So, you need one of each. Or so, I was taught.
Although using the top from a magnum champagne botle sounds like a good plan. I'll get right on that...
Hope this helps.
Bonarda 1888 wine box I saw at the place my DIL works...they said sure you want it take it. The 2 pieces for the top work great as a flipping boards. The box now holds onions. I love to recycle. c
I'm almost done with the 24 baguettes in 24 hours... It's actually taking me a little longer as I didn't account for the time to actually bake 24 of them in my regular sized oven and single stone... I turned my stone so the long side (16" side) is going from front to back rather than side to side so I can bake slightly longer things... I am actually using the flipping board to transfer the baguettes into the oven one by one quickly, which is actually easier than transfering them to a peel...