Cleaning bannetons?

[BrianShaw]

I recently started using cloth-covered bannetons for dough rising. 'm using the ones from SFBI that have the cloth sewn into the basket. With this technique I am a real novice, and found out today just how novice I really am!

The dough wouldn't rise due to the cold temp, I suspect, so I used a time-honoured technique of mine and set the dough on an electric heating pad. This is the first time I've done this... usually I rise on a board and put the board on the heating pad.

I must not have sufficiently floured the banneton because it stuck like glue. the heat from the electric heating pad "crusted" the dough into the linen cloth. After scraping and prying, soaking and more scraping, I began to wonder - Does a linen-covered banneton need to be cleaned periodically... or is it okay to just "bang out" the flour and store it in a dry location until the next use?

[CanuckJim]

Brian,

Commonly, I use the vacuum to clean banneton . Having said this, however, mine are not cloth lined. I suggest you use a fine mieshed seive to flour them with, using stone ground brown rice flour. Suspect your problem has to do with humidity, rather than flour amount.

Dump the heating pad; it will make the rising dough gluey. Longer, at room temp is better. The entire basket should be covered in plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Easier to show than describe.

Jim

[BrianShaw]

Thanks Jim. The vacuum makes sense, maybe even for cloth lined.

Now that the banneton is dried it doesn't appear to have been harmed in any way by washing in water... but I sure won't be doing that again if I can help it.

As for humidity, that is a possibility since it is more humid than normal right now. I didn't think of that as a consideration. I'll have to give rice flour a try instead of wheat flour.

I can imagine quite well what you mean by enclosing in plastic wrap. I've been covering with a cloth in the past. I'll try your method.

As for the heating pad... I might best reassign that piece of equipment to my aching shoulder!

[CanuckJim]

Brian,

Try to find a source for industrial width plastic wrap. Here, from a wholesaler, I can get it either 18" or 24" wide. Makes wrapping the baskets much easier, because you only use a single piece.

Jim

[DrakeRemoray]

I second Jim on getting big/wide plastic wrap. I bought this:
Easy Glide™ Food Service Film - 18'', Food Wraps at Instawares

Drake