The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Do you line your proofing basket?

HappyHighwayman's picture
HappyHighwayman

Do you line your proofing basket?

The other day I was baking two loaves, and I only had one proofing basket so I took a wicker basket and lined it with a dish towel which I floured and used as an impromptu basket. Ironically I hadn't properly floured the proper basket near the edge of the top and when I turned the basket over the dough stuck a little, while the dough in the lined basket came out easily. 

I note some people line their proofing basket anyway with what appears to be either a dish towel or cheesecloth. Do you line your baskets before flouring and introducing the dough?

You can see the bread on the left was baked first and was the one with issues, while the one on the right used the line wicker basket and came out better.

I'm also having issues properly scoring the bread. I find it just doesn't cut well even though I got a scoring knife though perhaps I should just buy some razor blades?

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

flour or RF mixed half and half with AP - no sticking.  It depends on the look you are looking for.  I use both methods all the time depending on what look I want the finished bread to have.  Both work just fine if flouring is done well and with Rice Flour.

See David Snyder's tutorial on scoring that he just posted a day or two ago.

winstonsmith's picture
winstonsmith

I use plastic "wicker" baskets. I use a light spray of vegetable oil and dust the inside with flour. Works for me.

HappyHighwayman's picture
HappyHighwayman

I tried it today well floured but I also did a cold rise post primary rise with no sticking at all. I think cold dough isn't as sticky as room tempt dough.

 

 

Dragonbones's picture
Dragonbones

I always flour my coiled (cane?) banneton or brotform with half rice flour, half AP. If the dough is particularly sticky I am just more generous with this, or also flour the dough extra well. I don't have problems with sticking, now.

Grenage's picture
Grenage

I used to use a liner, but I didn't get on with them; now I use a simple cane banneton with a healthy dusting of rice flour.  Someone here mentioned that they only redust every four or five loaves, and I started doing the same thing - no sticking!

HappyHighwayman's picture
HappyHighwayman

Why does everybody recommend the 50/50 mix of regular and rice flour? I've been using just regular flour.

 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

It comes two ways glutinous and non glutinous.  I have use both and can't tell the difference.  No 50-50 from me anymore - 100% rice flour is the way to go since I use regular unlined baskets instead of brotforms.

placebo's picture
placebo

I typically use a mixture of regular and rice flour, but with my last loaf, I was feeling exceptionally lazy and didn't bother to use the rice flour. I just gave the banneton a good coating of AP flour. It seemed to me there was definitely more sticking, so I'll be using rice flour again.

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

very high hydration % doughs.  2 sticks recently with 50-50 and I have learned my lesson but I use regular cheap baskets too.   

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven
Our Crumb's picture
Our Crumb

...before flipping into banneton. I keep 50:50 rice:AP in a glass parmasean cheese dispenser (saw that in a NW Sourdough video I think) and shake some over what will be the loaf top and gently spread it with my hand. Dust the bannetons and brotforms with same mix before dough goes in. No sticking issues for a long time.  

Tom