Professional bakers often proof (raise) their sourdough breads in a special basket called a "Banneton". In Germany it's called a "Brotform" and is used for many of the artisan breads you see in their amazing bakeries. Traditionally a Banneton is a shallow bowl or basket used to proof and give the bread its final form. Often a Banneton also decorates the bread with a coil, or spiral, designs. It's different from a bread pan in that the bread is removed from the baskets in order to bake the loaf (it's inverted onto a bread pan or hot stone and placed in the oven to bake). The advantage of raising bread in a Banneton is that it raises UP in a shape rather that raising outward into an amorphous blob. This is especially useful for making large loaves like ones you buy at artisan bakeries. Some Bannetons are made with a spiral of thick wicker which leaves a nice design on the loaf. Others are cloth-lined which actually helps absorb moisture from the bread surface to add to the crackly crust you get with fresh-baked artisan breads.
I have wanted a Banneton for baking for a long time but they are mostly imported and quite expensive, so I decided to make one for myself. I went to our local dollar store and bought a basket for $1, lined it with cloth, and have baked a couple of wonderful loaves.
Here's how to make your own:
Start with a small, deep bowl-like basket (round or oval depending on what you find and the shape of the loaf you want). Use a scrap of cotton muslin or other coarse cotton cloth big enough to fit down in the bottom and hang over all the edges. Using thick thread and a large craft needle sew the cloth into the bottom of the basket with long stitches. Smooth the cloth up the sides (make a few pleats to make it smooth all around) and repeat the process by sewing the cloth around the rim. Finally, roll the excess cloth over the rim and make long circular stitches to retain it all the way around.
To use the Banneton, put a couple of hand-fulls of flour in the bottom and tap the basket to spread the flour thickly all around the bottom and sides. Lay the ball of dough in the Banneton with the bottom of the loaf facing up (remember you're going to invert it). After it is fully raised preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Sprinkle your baking stone with whole grain flour or corn-meal and place it in the oven. When the oven is pre-heated slide out the shelf with the baking stone and carefully invert the Banneton to dump out the loaf onto the hot stone. Bake the loaf for 30 minutes for your own beautiful artisan bread. If you don't have a baking stone just invert it onto a greased cookie sheet instead.
Have fun and enjoy!
Very clever!
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