April 2, 2008 - 7:52am
couche cloth - what to use?
other than the $20 KA flax couche, what kind of cloth should be used? I bought some cotton muslin, but that doesn't seem to be it. Is flax cloth a fabric one should be able to find at the local fabric store?
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I bought light canvas at a fabric store. I don't remember what the price was, but I only bought about a yard because it was quite wide. I cut it up into two pieces.
I dust it with flour and it works really well. Has enough body to stay upright between the loaves.
Bob
I wonder the same thing. I've tried my linen dish towels. They didn't work- too soft. I've tried parchment supported by rolled towels and that wasn't great either. Does anyone know of a good baking supply shop in the Los Angeles area? I figure we should have something in a city this size.
Marni
Marni, I think I got my canvas at JoAnn's Fabric. Actually, my SO picked it up and I think that is where she got it. Similar to artist's canvas. Hancock Fabric should carry it also. Wal-Mart here did NOT carry it.
Bob
Thank you Bob, JoAnn's is here in the LA area. I'll check it out. Does it stay stiff with repeated washings?
Marni
So far it has. But I really dont wash it. I just open the back door and shake the bejesus out of it after it has dried.
Take a look at www.sfbi.com They sell various baking supplies at very reasonable prices. Linen for couche range in price from $8-$10 a yard.
For some reason the link doesn't work..so copy and paste..sorry!
The link doesn't work because it tries to load this:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/www.sfbi.com
Try clicking on www.sfbi.com instead. :)
They sell the baskets there too. I have no idea if the prices are good, but it's nice to know that the proceeds go to the scholarship fund. Thanks for the link.
Marni
Mine is pretty heavy -- I think it's originally from an art store for stretching canvases. I'd wash it before using just to get out any sizing etc. I wouldn't bother with a specialty product....
That reminds me I need to cut a few more pieces out and actually finish the edges this time--mine are just randomly cut and fraying :)
Artist supply stores sell a plain linen canvas that would work, and has no protective sprays on it. Ask for raw canvas. Monica
I purchased 2/3 yd. very heavy cotton canvas from an upholstery store. I think I paid about $4. I machine washed and dried it with very little shrinkage.
The thing to use is raw linen because of the oils in the raw linen as opposed to cooked? linen which loses its oils. I bought the heaviest linen fabric from JoAnn's and dust it with bread flour and rice flour and dough doesn't stick.
The baskets at SFBI are great and very reasonable. I recommend them.
Lee
I purchased Duck cloth from the local Walmart. It is holding up well and I only had to purchase a yard. Washed, quickly ironed on low heat and finished the edges and it is working great.
Eli
What size couche would be most versatile? I have a 5'-15' painter's drop cloth that is made of untreated 12oz canvas. So far I have only been making batards and boules on their own pans. Can this be washed first without losing its stiffness?
Thanks for any input.
Marni
PS The paint store salesman loved the planned use of the cloth.
I use sometimes use my baking pans for boards under the couched loaves, about 16" long X 11" wide, your basic baking pan in other words. So I made my couche 13" wide after washing/drying/shrinking/sewing the raw edges. Although I've often just couched the loaves directly on the counter, I figured the pan dimensions would suit since bread made any wider wouldn't fit in the oven or on my baking stones anyway.
I also made them 30" long which happens to be 2.5" or half the width of the 5' drop cloth. So out of a bit more than 13'" of the drop cloth and allowing another inch or so for some fast edging, I got two couche cloths long enough to afford folds in between several loaves and enough to roll up a starting and ending rim.
PS: just noticed this was a really old post I responded to. Must pay more attention...
I just use the chicago metallic perforated french bread and baguette forms. I like them because the bread can rise and bake in them. I usually roll my bread bottoms in a bit of cornmeal first to prevent sticking. Then the filled forms go right on the stone. I don't know if that's cheating but I found it so much easier.
Henry, that is the most beautiful raw bread I have ever seen, they are perfect! How do you get them off the couche without stretching/deflating them?
B.
After a couple of disasters with dough stuck to towels I did a search and found this thread. I've just been out to the garage and dug out my decorating dust sheet, cut off a couple of large squares and washed them. Hope to give them a try tomorrow!
If this doesn't work I may be in trouble for ruining the sheet, just like I was for the towels! :-/
Edit: Just got back from the supermarket. I couldn't help noticing that they sell Bags For Life made out of jute which looks ideal for bread making. :-) Shame they're not just a bit bigger.
Martyn
I know it is expensive but it does work well. If your dust sheet offcuts don't work you could try http://www.thebertinetkitchen.com/shop/bread_making where a piece is £12 or http://bakerybits.co.uk/Couche-Proving-C128890.aspx?sid=10763 where it is a bit more expensive!
say this one more time since this thread has popped up again - and then I'm going to let it go. (Let it go, proth5, let it go...)
I understand that many people have very tight budgets - or simply don't like to part with a penny. I understand that many people can use other fibers successfully. However.
Linen is the best cloth for a couche. Why?
The Baker's Catalog (King Arthur) does charge a surprizing amount for a half yard of linen. You can find it for about $9 a yard at TMB Baking (affiliated with SFBI) - for whom I do not work - but from whom I have purchased good, high quality products that have enhanced my baking experience.
If you wonder why it is so "expensive" - see the "Couche Chronicals".
Let it go...
Thankyou Ruralidle and Proth5 for your help. My experiment with the dust sheet was a disaster, I ended up scrapping the dough onto a tray and making flatbread. Looks like my next purchase will be a proper linnen baking cloth :-)
You won't regret it, Martyn.
I initially went the route of using canvas material as a couche, then took Pat's (Proth5) advice and purchased linen from TMB. There's simply no comparison - the linen is magic.
Perhaps Andy will chime in and suggest a good U.K. supplier of a linen couche.