September 8, 2017 - 10:52am
Bannatons vs Proofing baskets?
Any one have experience and preferences with/between bannatons and proofing baskets?
Something similar to these:
https://www.sfbi.com/10-round-nonremovable-lined-baskets-detail
vs
https://www.sfbi.com/2lb-round-coiled-wicker-baskets-detail
Not to sure which would be preferable or much different and see a lot of the linen lined baskets.
Trying to glean others experience with out having to pay a huge premium to experiment
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I use some of the cane bannetons (bought on ebay from a place in China), but mostly I use very inexpensive wicker baskets that I buy at a shop in Chinatown for about $1.50 each. I don't use liners in either one. I simply flour them and they work just fine. If the cheap ones get moldy or tatty, I just replace them! The pattern on the bread is nice too. :)
Here's dough rising in the cheap baskets just this morning:
Yes, I think I saw you post this reply minus the picture some where else. I am currently using about 6 cane bannetons for boules currently and have been eyeing the lined baskets for some time. I am curious by nature and wonder what the difference really ends up being beyond that they all work well? There has to be a reason to each with some pros and cons?
Thank you so much for the input and picture! What are you making in there? It looks well shaped!
Heart Bread. See my blog post from this morning. :)
The main differences I've found are how well the basket material (or liner) absorbs moisture, how well it releases the proofed loaves and what kind of pattern you want (if any) on the loaves. Also, of course, the size, shape and sturdiness.
Will def check the morning post as that looks to good not to look up!
Thank you for the insight on the moisture absorption of the baskets! That does make sense and in fact I have read that the linen liners do suck more moisture out. Exactly some of the info and feed back I was looking for! Much thanks
I use Lucky Clover Trading for my bratforms (bannetons?). I like the wicker caning which both holds rice flour well and provides a really nice presentation after baking. This is the most cost-effective source I have found and it came from a recommendation here on TFL.
When the bratform is new the first thing I do is spray it with water then dust it with rice flour. After it dries I shake-out any debris and re-flour it again before each use. The rice flour makes an excellent release agent, whether I proof the bread at room temperature or retard the proof in a chiller.
Jim
It's the same safety argument that was presented on a thread about cooking in cans that you'll be familiar with if you've been following things here for the last couple weeks: God knows what they've treated the wicker/cane/wood/whatever with.
When my son was a baby (he's 7 now) it was when there was all kinds of bad news about unsafe products coming out of China - things like baby toys, dog food, furniture, etc. We made a conscious decision to avoid toys made in China. So I had strong reservations about buying stuff made in China to be used in the kitchen, let alone stuff that was actually intended to be used as household decorations.
I even tried sourcing brotformen from Germany, and kept running into stuff sold from Germany that was actually made in China. So, alas, until somebody comes up with a ceramic or stainless steel proofing bowl with the pretty spiral pattern molded in, I guess I'll just keep forming my bread by hand...
--steps down from soap box--
These are wood pulp baskets with the lines you're looking for that are made in Germany! They some of the story and a link to the original producer in Germany. Hope this helps and might be something you find interesting and useful.
https://breadtopia.com/store/wood-pulp-round-proofing-basket/
What are your thoughts on those?
This looks like a very viable alternative to the other stuff. I wonder how many times they can be used before they break down...
I've looked at Breadtopia many times - I can't believe I've missed these. They also show the link to the manufacturer's website: http://brotformen.de. That link actually redirects to the correct one: http://brotformen24.de I'm waiting for the page to load but the firewall at work is balking at the security of the site; I may have to try again at home.
Thanks again!
--Mike
These are willow bannetons, apparently made in France. They are available through an importer based in Tucson, AZ.
I finally got through on the web page for Birnbaum, but the brotformen shown on their page are almost certainly made from rattan and not willow. Since rattan is not indigenous to Germany, I'm wondering if they only source their rattan from China, or have the whole thing made there and just put their label on it. But they also have the wood pulp line mentioned by J Christie above.
The French ones are $34, plus shipping which is high, but I'd probably only ever buy one and if I took care of it I could probably get several years' use out of it.
Something to consider...
Willow does seem like it is the wood to last a lifetime in this scenario. I also like the idea of wood pulp as well though as it does lend to sustainability with the drawback to that being they are imported from Germany.
You get the willow, Ill get the wood pulp and we come back a month into using them and do a report? I need any excuse to get more things!
At the Herbert Birnbaum site, they sing the praises of rattan for proofing baskets and state that they are all German-made. They even say they'll make custom sizes, and that they conform to the strictest German standards for food safety.
In the post above I refer to a "Birnbaum" site - that one is Ernst Birnbaum, and the site is all in German. This site, the Herbert Birnbaum site, is done in English, but there is no mention that I could find whether the two companies are related. I can't find a shopping cart link on the site, and it seems like they are best prepared to deal with large commercial bakeries, but there are contact numbers and an e-mail address for inquiries - I did not see any price data for their products.
Ever since I found some "wee beasties" living in the flour that becomes embedded in the spirals of willow bannetons I have been put off them. Probably alright if used every day, but for occasional use by a home baker I decided that they weren't for me.
Mine were stored near the oven in a nice warm place, so an ideal breeding ground for unwanted fauna - and no effective means of cleaning them.
I now use either the wood pulp brotforms as mentioned above, or the plastic professional grade ones. The plastic ones need a cotton liner which needs washing every time, but they are hygienic and don't take up much space in the fridge if you are retarding. Incidentally, the rectangular 500g size will actually hold up to about 900g of sourdough.
Lance