I wasted $80 on a fancy silicone bread proofing basket that ruined my loaves

That expensive banneton trapped so much moisture my dough turned into a sticky mess every time, and after three ruined batches I finally went back to a floured tea towel in a regular bowl has anyone else had better luck with cloth over those trendy baskets?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancyramirez5d ago

Totally agree with @ryan_hart38 on that, the classics are classic for a reason (and way cheaper). My grandma always used a floured tea towel in a colander, and her bread had that perfect open crumb every time plus a nice crust without turning into a gluey mess. Swear by that method for sourdough now, even though I bought one of those expensive bannetons on a whim a while back. It just sat in my cabinet gathering dust until I gave it to a friend who somehow makes it work, but I'm sticking with the towel.

kevin_williams5d ago

Oh hold on, I gotta push back a little here. You said your grandma's method never failed but then you also said you bought a banneton on a whim and gave it away. That part's totally fine, but the way you put it sounds like the banneton was a waste for everyone. They're actually really good for certain doughs, especially if you're doing high hydration stuff. Your friend probably figured out you need to let the basket dry out completely between uses and dust it with rice flour, not regular flour, to stop sticking. I've seen a lot of people give up on them too early because they didn't know that trick. But hey, whatever works for your kitchen, that's what matters.

ryan_hart385d ago

Honestly, I used to think the fancy baskets were necessary for good crust, but you're making me reconsider. Ngl, my old floured tea towel method never failed me either.