February 15, 2010 - 8:43pm
preparing banneton's for first use
Hello,
I have a couple bannetons that I am planning on using for the first time tomorrow. I have read that I should spray them with baker's joy/baking grease and place them in a 200*F oven before the first use. Is this accurate? I am worried about ruining them and Baker's Joy has flour in it that could go bad or mold over time.
Thanks for the input!
Rick
Share
bannetons for about 8 years. From their first use I've only dusted them heavily with flour, and rubbed it into the crevices. When I use them more than once a week I don't bother brushing out the flour that remains, but I keep them stored in a tightly sealed plastic bag. If I don't use them within the week the next time I use them I brush out the residual flour with a stiff brush, and replace it with fresh flour. About a year ago I switched from using AP flour, to brown rice flour. Otherwise, that's the only treatment they've had from their start. I've never washed them, nor oiled them, nor put them in an oven. They almost look like new.
David G.
I agree with Davidg above. Some say to spray non stick oil and dust but I prefer simply dusting with a 50/50 mix of AP flour and White Rice flour. I use a soft brush to apply a light dusting on the coils and then I load the brush and tap it over the dough to further prevent sticking. Works for me.
Eric
A banneton is a wicker basket that has a fabric liner in it. Sometimes they are made out of plastic (those don't have a liner). A brotform is a coiled willow basket.
I maintain my brotform as David G does and also advocate rice flour. It's the best. I would stay away from the spray oil and putting them in the oven.
Betty
Only ever use flour no oil ever, hurts me to think of that .ouch......
I too like brown rice flour...... qahtan
Videos of, at least one method, of using/maintaining a banneton/brotform, from someone who sells them for a living. There are two videos. The cleaning video is accessed by clicking on the picture with the sink, on the right side of the video player. If you don't see the player, scroll down the page, a little, after the link:
http://www.breadtopia.com/store/oblong-brotform-proofing-basket.html
Apparently, oil can be used, but probably not as some sort of initial "seasoning" for the banneton/brotform. The oil is probably all washed off, with hot water, after each use. That is not to say someone, somewhere, is not doing so, successfully.
But, as usual, with a forum of this sort, when you ask for advice, you are sometimes going to get every possible answer under the sun. Pick one which works for you.
So if you do it his way and you poop it, then you buy another..... hmmmmmm qahtan
One could look at it that way.
But would you buy another from him? Not a smart way to garner repeat, or word of mouth business.... hmmmm?
By the way, he(Breadtopia) is very reponsive to questions about the products and methods used on his website.
I have been giving my brotforms a quick spray of oil and then dusting with flour for the past year with no problem at all. Got the idea from breadtopia since I bought my brotform from him. Works for me.
I bought my bannetons off of breadtopia and followed his method of cleaning them...when they're emptied I use the sink spray and wash all the flour out, then give it a shake and leave it upside down on the top of the stove while the bread is baking. I never spray them with oil, it never seemed necessary. I give a shake of brown rice flour, with a shaker I got at the bulk barn, just enough so that there is a little on each 'ledge'. I've never had dough stick...