December 21, 2011 - 4:19pm
Dusting bread before baking
Has anyone used a flour duster to "add" flour to the top of bread before baking? When I proof bread in a basket, my bread normally has a nice white coating from the rice flour I use to prevent sticking. When I don't use a basket, I'm tempted to sprinkle flour on the top for decoration. Does anyone else do that and use something other than rice flour?
Share
I think this is up to you, depending on the way you want the loaf to look. I expend a lot of effort on my breads and like them to look the way I think artisan bread should look. I don't like the look of a flour covered loaf concealing the blisters, the carmelization of the crust and the scoring. These attributes are things we strive for, they have an effect on the texture and flavor of the bread and I don't think they should be concealed in order to create a "rustic" looking loaf.
I too use rice flour to prevent sticking, but I brush it all off before I score. This gives me a clean, more appealing looking loaf that highlights the craft. Your choice, depending upon the way you wish to present your bread......the taste is probably not affected.
You might find shakers like these useful for laying down an even thin dusting...
I like to put a few glass marbles in my shaker. It helps a lot. And sounds nice too :-)
Jim
...a wire mesh strainer to lay down a fine dusting of whatever flour I used for the bread
.
FF