Plastic Proofing Baskets

I use both plastic and cain baskets with a linan liner, it obsorbs any exta moisture. You can find old linan shirts  in secand hand clothing shops or opp shops as we call them. You can get 2 or 3 peices out of  large shirt.
best of luck

G'day Duane, I have a few plastic bannetons (they were the first I purchased) and I have been baking with them for some time. They always stick! I have tried a liberal brushing with oil, wheat flour, rye flour, fine semolina and a combination of oil with a dusting....even a thick coat of all the above and nothing works.

You can work the dough out of the bannetons with patience, it does distort the dough but it soon settles down to the correct shape. The one thing you cannot do is get impatient, try to force the dough out and tear it. Just upend the banneton over your peel and gently rock it from side to side until it falls out, it may take some time and you want to do it just above the peel so as it starts to come loose the peel starts to take some of the weight of the dough. I think that while the cane absorbs some of the moisture and therefore lets the dough form a slight "skin", the dough "sweats" against the plastic and this causes it to stick. I considered using a cloth liner too but I like the lines you get on the loaves from bannetons and you would lose that if you use a liner.

By brother and Wet decided to start using bannetons, so we all banded together and put in an order for some cane ones of various shapes. The guy tried to sell us plastic ones but because of my experience with them I specifically wanted cane....and so did the others. After a long wait they finally arrived at my brothers place yesterday. I am just about to get a sponge or two going and I hope to use them tonight.

Check out Bill's.

TP

TP, Bills baskets are a real work of art but I don't think I would have the patience to make them.

Duane, just to let you know, I had my first bake using real cane bannetons today and it confirmed my thoughts on plastic. Having only used plastic until now, I wondered if it was my technique or if I was doing something wrong but after using cane and having something to compare the plastic ones against I can report that the plastic ones cause trouble and the cane bannetons are a joy to use. I just upended the cane bannetons over the peel and the dough came out, no fuss, no sticking, no problem and no distortion of the dough!

The flour lines from the coils are there in the bread (the loaves look excellent) and there is less disturbance to the dough because you are not trying to work the dough free. My plan now is to line the plastic ones so I can use them with really wet dough mixes....they will be great for that, but my standard SD loaves will all be formed in cane from now on!

This makes a great canvas for a stencil! Remember to show your grapevine basket when you're done. Wow.

TP

Hmm...will that have a festive flavour?

Ok I'm now crawling in the area of stenciling.  Maybe one of these days I'll advance to the next stage.



I lost some flour somewhere along the way so it is try, try, try again.  Maybe TP can figure it out.  I already have new ideas.

For brand new bannetons <insert heart>, I rub in, not just sprinkle, lots of rice flour, up and over the rim. Once they get seasoned, ie. I don't wash them every round...just sun them, rye works, or lighter flouring is fine.

TP

I'm using a heavy plastic that some of our food comes in.  The last one worked out just fine.  I gave the bread away so no picture.  Yes I have even more ideas of putting chinese art on my loaves now.  This is going to be fun.  I might have to start a stencil blog when I get it figured out.

Trent, if your loaves do stick in your bannetons, hold them on one side until your dough frees itself a bit (this may take a few minutes) then repeat on the other side. When it is fairly free on the sides, upend your banneton just over the peel and let gravity slowly free your dough from the base. If your dough has enough elasticity it will not tear and will recover quickly to the right shape.

If using really high hydration doughs, line your banneton with a cloth and really rub the flour into the fabric then give the cloth another good sprinkle of flour before placing you dough in it to prove.

I use coarse rye flour in my bannetons but let us know how you go with the rice flour.....

Cheers,
Pete

I also have an elonggated plastic basket that I have to use an oiled tea towel to keep the dough from sticking.  This time I made Walnut Cranberry Whole Wheat Sourdough so I got some walnut leaves off of our tree and used them as a stencil.  This is fun and it opens up lots of new areas for stenciling.

Yea I was getting a kick out of using leaves for a stencil.  I was going to do some Chinese Bambo style artwork on one but next year.    Or maybe Orchids.  Anyway back to the design of the first one.  It turned out just right this time.  The bread is Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Bread.  That is the first time I have put cheese in bread.  It is a pain having to wait for it to cool down to see how it tastes.


I went and checked our grapevines out and they are good and dormant now.  I think I'll have to soak the canes in water to make the bends in the baskets but I'm not sure.

I have studied Chinese Art and Orchids along that line could be done.  That might happen next year.  

Gday everyone