Use and Care

Use and Care of Wood Pulp Bannetons

Wood pulp bannetons are strong and durable, making them a preference in Europe for over 100 years. With the right use and care, they will last a lifetime.

First Use: the bannetons are ready for immediate use. We recommend briefly brushing them out and liberally dusting the inside with flour. You can rub the flour into the bannetons with your hands for even greater application.

Subsequent Uses: depending on the moisture content and stickiness of your dough, you can scale down the amount of flour you dust your bannetons with. The more you use the bannetons, the better it releases your dough.

After Use:  During proofing, the bannetons are intended to draw moisture from your dough. After use, they must dry out completely. This is a particularly important step to complete before storing as they must be dry to avoid the formation of mold. To do this, place the bannetons in a place that is warm and well-ventilated until dry. You can also use the residual heat from your oven after your bread is baked as well. At approx. +/- 225 degrees Fahrenheit, the bannetons dry quickly without being damaged and at the same time killing any germs on the bowls.

Cleaning: Never use water and soap to clean these. Use the process above by placing your bannetons in a 225-degree Fahrenheit oven. Within 45 they will be dry, and you can brush out any loose flour.

Storing: Once thoroughly dry, you may stack bannetons and place in a dry area for storage.

 

Additional Notes:

  • Never put them in the oven when baking the bread. It is possible that they catch fire when getting too hot.
  • Do not stack wet bannetons. You will need to discard any banneton with mold on it. Dry them out completely before storing to ensure this is not an issue.
  • Do not clean these with water or any cleaning solution.