linen-lined proving baskets

[culinary bear]

My first attempt with a naturally leavened sourdough bread was a success, but it brought up something of a procedural issue. I rubbed a linen cloth with ample flour, and left the dough to prove in the lined basket for the allotted time. On turning the loaf out on to the baking stone, the dough adhered to the cloth at various points, necessitating something of a delicate operation to remove it.

I used enough flour; the cloth had a lot of free flour left on it when I put the dough in to rise. Do such cloths acquire a non-stickiness with repeated use in the manner of the patina on a black iron skillet? Like pancakes, does the first one always stick?

Answers on a postcard, please...

[chefpeon]

Do such cloths acquire a non-stickiness with repeated use in the manner of the patina on a black iron skillet? Like pancakes, does the first one always stick?

That's pretty much it. When I was doing artisan loaves our cloths were so floury they were quite heavy. We used an UNGODLY amount of flour in those things. I used to joke we had more flour in the cloths and on the floor than we did in the bread! We had to have a special cleanup guy come in after our shift was over because it always looked like some guy set off dynamite in our flour bins!

If you think you have too much flour, add more.......

[jackal10]

Also don't wash the cloths. You can sterilize them by leavimg them in a warm (100C/200F) oven overnight...

[merrybaker]

Rice flour works really well, almost like Teflon.

[chiantiglace]

Big fan of rice flour in bannetons or proofing baskets.

[devlin]

What about corn meal? Or does it behave differently from rice flour?

[chefpeon]

Corn meal isn't fine enough to prevent sticky doughs from sticking to fabric. You need something that is fine and will actually embed itself into the cloth. Also, depending on the bread, cornmeal remnants on the crust isn't always desirable.

Cornmeal is great for its "ball-bearing" effect on doughs on hard surfaces.....like rolling loaves or pizza crusts off of a peel for instance.

[culinary bear]

You might all be pleased to know that this is the result - my second ever sourdough loaf, and no sticking! :)

[chiantiglace]

also, rice flour doesnt show up as well as wehat flour, it has a glossier finish instead of a robust powdery finish.

[jgarner53]

rice flour doesnt show up as well as wehat flour

Aaah, that's good to know.

[LT Wong]

Can someone advise me on the type of linen used to line the proofing baskets?

I've seen photographs and descriptions in some books that the type of linen used is Belgian linen, and it seems quite thick. The linen that I've seen are thinner.

Thanks.

[eatrustic]

I've always referred to the linen for proofing baskets (as well as for proofing baguettes and other free form loaves) as French linen but I suppose that Belgian is similar.

It is the unbleached, heavy (almost coarse) linen that works as a natural non stick material for doughs.

There are many forms of linen, many of them falsely named, made with synthetic materials.

Others are much finer and are not meant for doughs. (Think of the difference between raw silk and delicate refined silk.)

These other linens will not act as a non stick substance and in the case of free form loaves (loaves not requiring a basket) will not offer the necessary support when folded between each loaf.

[culinary bear]

So something like a really heavy linen oven cloth, the herringbone-weave type?

[jackal10]

Irish linen oven cloths work fine.

Forgot to say what a great looking loaf. So nice to see it properly brown, not like so many aneamic loaves...