Burned $60 on a proofing basket that fell apart in 3 weeks

Bought one of those rattan proofing baskets from a random online shop. Seemed fine at first. After the second use the inner coil started unraveling. By week three it was completely warped and dough kept sticking to the rough spots. Lost a whole batch of sourdough because it tore the skin. Anyone had better luck with a specific brand or should I just stick to mixing bowls with towels?

2 comments

2 Comments

paige8617d ago

Skip the cheap online rattan baskets, they're basically decorative junk. Get a wooden or plastic proofing basket instead, those hold up way better. I've had the same Brod & Taylor folding proofing basket for over a year now and it's still like new. The plastic ones are a little more pricey but they don't warp or get those rough spots that tear your dough. Also, don't bother with the towels they come with, use a light dusting of rice flour instead of wheat flour so it doesn't stick as much. Mixing bowls with towels work fine too if you just want to save money, just make sure the bowl is big enough for your dough to double in size.

king.wyatt17d ago

Oh man, you're telling me. I dropped forty bucks on one of those fancy rattan baskets and the thing started shedding straw like a stressed out cat. Looked like a craft project gone wrong. Now I just use a big metal mixing bowl lined with a flour sack towel and call it a day. You're right about the rice flour too, wheat flour just turns into a sticky paste. But hey, at least those cheap baskets make good kindling for the pizza oven, right?