Dough bowl types?

[Xabia Jim]

Is there a preferred type of bowl for making bread dough?
Which type is best to raise high hydration dough in?

Plastic? Stainless? Crockery? other?

Any Preferences or recommendations?

[egalecki]

Re: Dough bowl types?

I use stainless and plastic. Well-oiled, I find them both satisfactory. I love crockery's look, but it's too heavy sometimes for me to turn out the dough carefully. Not enough hands.

The plastic containers have markings on the sides so I can tell how much the dough's risen. I really like that, and the fact that they're transparent, so I use plastic for the bulk rise. I use the steel bowls for shaping, though, because the plastic ones have sort of squared-off bottoms.

[Archena]

Re: Dough bowl types?

Wood. I use my grandmother's biscuit bowl and it's perfect (okay, I use it when I'm not in the middle of moving and everything is packed up).

I've used my mom's crockery mixing bowls but the shape was too awkward - otherwise they were fine. Don't know about high hydration - never really worked anything like that.

[gjbingham]

Re: Dough bowl types?

I bought a set of large Polish made crockery bowls from King Arthur about eight years ago. I use them almost exclusively for dough. The downside is that if you use them for a preferment, they take much longer to warm up to room temp on the day that you pull them out for use.

[CanuckJim]

Re: Dough bowl types?

George,

We have a box store here that's something like a cross between Pep Boys and Lowes. The real name is Canadian Tire, but the local moniker is "Crappy" Tire, because a lot of the stuff is iffy in quality. Anyway, I picked up some very cheap, very thin gauge, quite large stainless bowls that are perfect for things like wet ciabatta dough. Because they're so thin, they warm up quickly. Really not good for anything else other than drain oil.

Jim

[Jed]

Re: Dough bowl types?

Wood. I use my grandmother's biscuit bowl and it's perfect (okay, I use it when I'm not in the middle of moving and everything is packed up).

Archena,

I would love to see a picture of this bowl... how big is it (tall and wide), was it turned on a lathe, what wood is it, all that kind of stuff..

If you can remember when you get it unpacked... please post a picture..

In my book, 'perfect' is usually 'good enough', and if this bowl is perfect, maybe I can copy it...

Thanks,

JED

[Archena]

Re: Dough bowl types?

I'll be happy to, Jed. It will be a while - I'm moving again in a month and then moving yet again (I hope) 6 - 8 months later. I think I know where it is and will be looking for it after the next move. I'm probably going to break down and buy a pizza stone from the store here sometime after the upcoming move. I really want to bake again and I'm going to be ordering some low carb 'flour' I want to try out for me.

The real flour, once it gets here, I want to use for an SCA event if I can talk a feastcrat into letting me bake the bread (this should not be hard). Depending on the event it would be 50 - 150 people I'd be baking for. I will really be wanting the bowl then!

I'm pretty sure it wasn't turned - biscuit bowls are oblong. It's not very deep at the deepest point - maybe four inches (from memory, obviously) and it is probably 18" to 2' long. I'll post a pic when I can.

[texassourdough]

Re: Dough bowl types?

I buy cheap BIG stainless bowls at restaurant supply stores. Much cheaper than conventional kitchen stores. My local supplier of choice is Ace Mart. They sell both wholesale and retail and have a number of stores around.

I also use a plastic tub with a lid for larger dough masses - like 20 pounds or so.

Jay

[gjbingham]

Re: Dough bowl types?

CJ,
Thanks for the idea. I know exactly the type you are speaking of. Sorry I've been off for awhile. Hope you and your bakery are well and prospering.

George

[Jed]

Re: Dough bowl types?

I ended up with these plastic bowls that I like a bunch...

They are stamped on the bottom - Texas Ware.

Can't make very much bread at a time, but I've been gaining weight anyway, so big enough is big enough...

I don't have a mixer, so all the mixing is done by hand, and I've been using almost always a sourdough and I've read the sourdough reacts some how with the metal bowl.

Anyway, these are heavy enough to feel good, and don't clang on the counter like the glass or metal..

JED

[twinwoodcarving]

Re: Dough bowl types?

I carve dough bowls from local Missouri woods and seal them with organic tung oil. If I can help any of ye let me know. www.twinwoodcarving.com