These are specially made products designed to help and mould bread for professional, artisan results. They leave imprints on the dough for a perfect finish and also offer plenty of features for a professional bake including removing moisture from the outside ‘skin’ for that crisp finish. A banneton is traditionally made from cane and is an essential tool for bread proofing or creating rolls, baguettes, sourdough and much more.
A brand new banneton is like many things, it needs to be broken in and conditioned for your needs. When you first get yours, prepare it by misting it with water and then dusting it heavily with flour 24 hours before you want to use it. This helps build up a layer of flour in all of the ridges which is just how the professionals do it.
Then when you are ready to bake, put your dough in upside down and make sure the seam of the dough is upright. Cover it with a cloth and let the dough rise naturally and then transfer it out of the banneton and into the oven. That is why we prepared in advance, the flour layer will make this transition seamless.
If you want artisan quality bread, these are an essential tool. Many home bakers are not even aware they exist, though. If you look in a professional bakery, you will see floured-up bannetons (proofing baskets) everywhere. First of all, they help create a perfectly symmetrical shape and the right amount of support for the dough as it rises. During this process, the spiral pattern in the fibres will imprint on the dough for that artistic finish. Because moisture is removed from the surface you will have crispier outsides, fluffier insides and perfect-looking loaf that will impress your friends and family and taste magnificent at the same time.
These products are not designed to be used for a production line of baking. Once you have used it once, you are likely going to have to wait 24 hours before you can use it again. The first step is to get all of the loose bits of dough out, which you can do with a soft brush or even your hand. But it is best to let this dough dry out first to make this process much easier. They also need to be dried out completely before you can use them again, so never stack them, instead storing them upside down, individually. That way the air will naturally flow upwards and dry out the inside, preventing mould.
Banneton Man is your one-stop shop for quality, authentic designs, bread proofing baskets and a range of baking tools that will help make you an instant expert when it comes to cooking at home or in a professional setting.
Our banneton baskets are made from the highest quality rattan, which has been sustainably grown and harvested from the farms in Laos. We all know the best designs originate from Germany, so it comes as no surprise that our manufacturer is qualified to meet these stringent standards.
While our banneton baskets are physically manufactured in our partner factory in Vietnam, and have been since 2013, we ensured the factory was set up - with the oversight of our CEO - to deliver the highest quality proofing baskets to meet German standards.
Over the years, we have grown with our partner factory to provide these products at affordable prices to Australian novice and hobby bakers, all the way up to your favourite bakeries across the country.