Cleaning bannetons?

[egalecki]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

(Although I admit I enjoyed the free spirit of the way I was making the all white bread)
Thanks,
Wiley

I kinda miss throwing it together sometimes too, but I don't miss the bricks I used to turn out more often than I would care to admit... (especially with whole wheat added- it's easy to do well with white)

Weighing the ingredients produces a much more predictable loaf for me. As long as it takes to get my bread together- the soakers, etc, I really hate it when they don't turn out like they're supposed to. And I don't like my husband having to use what I consider inferior bread for his sandwiches! The only thing not nailed down quite yet is the oven temperature, and that's going to be coming along- it's finally nice outside for a few days!

I am not sure you need to use the pot for your bread if you're using your wfo. You should be able to steam the crap out of the oven and turn your loaf out on the peel and put it in naked. You should get very similar results.

Annie's right, I have a brotform, not a bannetton. I keep getting them conflated. I have read where some people clean them out and then dry them carefully in the oven, but I haven't felt the need to do that.

I tried using flour sack towels as couches, spraying them with pam and using flour like Reinhart suggests. It didn't work terribly well all the time. I think some of it was because actual linen has a much flatter weave- if you look at it, the yarns used tend to look sort of flat. The cotton is spun a lot tighter and I think that makes the two cloths behave differently, particularly in the way they release. There's also a big difference in the thread count. Next time I'm going to order some real linen from SF Baking and see.

[egalecki]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

Annie, I tried using the plastic bags last time I baked- it was great! No more drying out on top! It was a little harder to see how far along I was since I didn't have clear bags, but I'm looking for some.

I used to use these cool things saran wrap put out- they were like little shower caps. I'd pop one of those on the edge of a pan or a bowl and they kept things nice and moist. The small ones did a great job on the tops of the sourdough containers- they'd vent themselves before it popped!

I can't find them anymore, more's the pity.

[Wiley]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

I am not sure you need to use the pot for your bread if you're using your wfo. You should be able to steam the crap out of the oven and turn your loaf out on the peel and put it in naked. You should get very similar results.

I tried using flour sack towels as couches, spraying them with pam and using flour like Reinhart suggests. It didn't work terribly well all the time. I think some of it was because actual linen has a much flatter weave- if you look at it, the yarns used tend to look sort of flat. The cotton is spun a lot tighter and I think that makes the two cloths behave differently, particularly in the way they release. There's also a big difference in the thread count. Next time I'm going to order some real linen from SF Baking and see.

Elizabeth, Presently I've been baking in an indoors oven. Several reasons, but the biggest is the convenience at the moment. I have assembled the new metal "pavilion" and am making plans for pouring the base, cutting the transition/pass-thru for the chimney and deciding whether I want to run wires thru the tubes/columns or go with solar powered light system. The unit did not come with detailed footprint dimensions and so I am working backward to get the slab dimensions. So while the pavilion is in place the chimney is off my WFO and it is not available.

Regarding using cloth couches, I have been using floured cotton for some time without problem save for this one instance which I blame insufficient flour on the cloth for the sticking problem. The usual problem ..."operator error". I agree and think linen would be better as being made of flax the fibers are longer and less fluffy, but one learns to work with what one has. My banneton came with a fitted cloth cover with an elastic around the edge to hold it on...like a cloth shower cap.

Bests,
Wiley

[AnnieMacD]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

Just a couple of things:

Elizabeth, the caps are good for the top of the baskets, but don't 100% work as the weave of both the banneton and the linen also allow for drying out. Esp if you are making sourdough and have a long proof. Try out the big clear bags and you won't be disappointed. I know you can get them from King Arthur if you can't get them locally.

And, to ALL, if you have a WFO, please, please bake on the oven floor. Anything else is a travesty. (You can see I don't have a stong opinion on this)! I have a few clients who want panned loaves (they fit in the toaster) and I cringe having to do it. There's nothing quite like bread and pizza from the hearth of the WFO, IMHO.

Annie

PS Don't know anything about the no-knead bread you are talking about but assume it's baked in some vessel - am I right? I make a no-knead bread and treat it like all other dough. A.

[Wiley]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

Annie, Here is a link that you may (or perhaps may not) find interesting:


YouTube - Making No-Knead Bread

Bests,
Wiley

[egalecki]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

I do have a couple of loaves I bake in pans- but they aren't the same kind of hearth loaves. One of them is Reinhart's oat bran broom bread, which my husband loves. He prefers his sandwiches regular in size, so I humor him and make them in a pan. Since he pretty much lets me feed him whatever I choose (he even ate beets last night, a first for him) I am happy to do it this way!

Most of the bread I've been making, even the sourdough-based ones, have some added yeast in the recipe, so my proofing isn't as long as some. I do a lot of soaking before I mix, and I think I get as much flavor from that as I do an extended proof. I do proof white bread longer, since I feel it greatly improves the flavor, but I don't make it much anymore! The last "white" bread I made was pizza dough!

I'd love a couple more brotformen, but I am having trouble figuring out the sizes. Some places measure the diameter and some give a volume for the finished loaf. Not to mention the different shapes....

What sizes and shapes do all of you have, and how big a loaf do they make?

[BrianShaw]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

You can put them individually into large plastic bags and tie the ends so they will not dry out. The bags can be used over and over unlike plastic wrap. Professional bakers have racks on which they put them and then cover the whole rack with a plastic cover.

Interesting, a fact I did not know.

I'm an infrequent (compared to a commercial bakery) user of my bannetons so I've been storing them to specfically encourage drying. I open store in a closed cabinet... to allow the linen to evaporate its moisture in the hopes of staving off any mold or rot.

[AnnieMacD]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

Brian,

Sorry, misunderstanding here! What I meant is to put them in large plastic bags when the dough is IN them so that the dough will not dry out. Certainly, when they are not in use it's best to leave them to dry out.

Elizabeth, my brotformen (round) has internal diameter 7.5 ins (187mm) at the top and accommodates an 800g loaf. I have an oval one 9 x 5.5 in (230 x 140mm) internal at top.

Annie

[BrianShaw]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

Ahhh... that make sense!

[Frances]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

Do any of you have problems with meal moths in the bannetons? I store mine as you've described, just shaking off any loose flour and leaving it to dry out.

But we do get an infestation of meal moths every once in a while and solve it by starving them out. Every thing goes in airtight containers and all stray crumbs cleared out... I'm just thinking the flour left over in the banneton looks like an ideal nesting place.

Here is a pic of the latest boule btw - the best yet. It was only in the banneton for the last rise of 4 hours (instead of overnight), which worked a lot better for me. I have found it very hard to control an overnight rise.

[egalecki]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

That's beautiful! I didn't take pictures of my mass bake yesterday, but I did 4 whole wheat loaves, 4 rye, one raisin/seed loaf from Reinhart's book and 6 small batards. I put the batards in the freezer for when it's just my husband and me for dinner- they're a good size for two people. I had to bake inside (thank heavens for double ovens) because my tarp blew off and my wood was all wet. It's also been raining steadily for several days.

I haven't had trouble with meal moths for a while now, but I find that the infestation usually comes with a bag of something which comes in and doesn't get used up promptly. Bird seed is bad for it- and I usually put them in the freezer for 24 hours now before I store them to kill any larvae. There are "pantry moth" traps out there which can help.

I have trouble with the overnight rises too. I don't get much rise in the fridge and then I can't time it well once it's out the next day. I've been doing sort of a bastardized no-knead recipe- I mix it up the night before and then the next morning I fold it, put it back in the bowl and fold it again once more sometime later, when I can. It's very forgiving that way. I can shape it and proof it when I'm ready. I still get good oven spring even though I haven't been using the hot pot to bake it in. I just steam the crap out of the oven a couple of times.

[AnnieMacD]

Re: Cleaning bannetons?

Frances, your loaf is beautiful - what a wonderful crust - I love the depth of colour. I think maybe you could have proofed it a bit longer as it did crack open on one of the cuts. I rather like it like that myself, I have to say.

I tend to ferment in the fridge and then proof at room temperature. I think that gives the best crust. When I do big bakes, I don't use the fridge at all ( not enough room for one reason). Whole cycle takes 24 hours at room temperature.

Annie