September 10, 2009 - 6:16pm
wicker or cane proofing basket
looking for opinions on wicker or cane (or some other material) for proofing baskets, especially for high hydration dough where it might have a tendancy to stick. also, while i am at it, any way to test for protien content in my fresh ground wheat flour. i have some that says spring, some spring white, and some hard red. is it just understood what the levels are or can i measure it somehow. thanks, mike
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Mike,
Just go to a buck store and buy the cheap wicker baskets used for crackers and such in restaurants. Choose the ones with the steepest sides. Lay a piece of linen over the basked, dust with flour from a sieve, then put in your loaf, seam side up. Lightly dust the exposed dough, then fold the flaps of the linen over the exposed dough. If you're going to retard overnight, cover the entire basket with plastic wrap before it goes into the cooler.
Hard red will have the highest protein content, spring white will be lower. Without a mill lab, I don't know of any reliable way to test protein content.
CJ
i saw that idea for the baskets in BB Aprentice but wasn't sure about the linen since i just tried the no knead bread in hot pot that i saw on this site and it stuck to the towel. i probably didn't dust it well enough - didn't even think about the sifter, itried to do it by hand- but i will try it again. thanks for the info on the wheat. I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Hi,
I know this will offend some people, but I bake at least one loaf of no-knead-bread every couple of weeks and usually do the final proofing in willow or cane [Brotform] baskets, [ie, without any linen.]
After a few sticking problems, I went back to the websites that sold my Brotformen ('Frieling' brand and a couple of others) and reviewed Reinhart's books where it says, *very clearly*, to "MIST" the baskets with cooking oil spray and to sprinkle the inside with flour.
Now, I always use rice flour, or a mix of rice flour and APF, but cornmeal, semolina and bran work OK, too.
There is NO problem of the oil turning rancid. You spray the Brotform, very lightly, paying special attention to the edges, where most sticking problems occur, dust with the flour and dump the NKB dough into the 'Form'.
It seems that the flour sticks to the oil and then the oily flour sticks to the dough. There is very little oil left on the Brotform. I keep my Brotformen in a tied plastic shopping bag between uses, because I don't want to encourage pests. After 7 months, they still smell as fresh as they did when new.
CAVEAT:I usually do 3 folds, 20-60min apart, depending on my schedule, with NKB. Lately I've got spectacular results, as the dough becomes more like "regular" bread dough after the third fold...
why on earth would that offend anyone, that was a very helpful post. thank you
You're very welcome.
I was just worried about being 'flamed' for even *suggesting* someone spray oil onto a cane or wooden Brotform.
I know it may sound bad, but I bowed to my superiors and have had very good results with the oil spray. I just couldn't find any other way to keep the flour where it was supposed to be. [This is very important with slack doughs, such as NKB.]
I think the 'secret' of no rancidity is to use the Brotform regularly, as I do, and also to keep the concept of "misting" as opposed to "spraying" clear in one's mind.
I would also add that I don't spray the oil EVERY time I use the Brotform. If the flour won't stay in the Form, then a light mist is called for.
Thank you, mike owens,
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