October 27, 2008 - 10:30pm
You spin me right round!
Check out this page on sourdough on Wikipedia. Pay attention to the second photo, with the two loaves. The loaf on the right, with the neat circular flour marks, how do you get that?!?!?!?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sourdough
For the life of me, I can't figure that out. Are you putting the loaf on a lazy-susan and tracing out the marks with a toothpick? Or isit well-trained flour weevils that have been taught to make those? Some sort of Johhny-come-lately alien making crop circles AFTER the grain has been harvested, processed and baked?
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Alternatively, you could just get a cheap wicker basket and line it with linen. *Much cheaper*, and the results are certainly good enough for the home baker.
LazySumo,
Depending on where you are, there are a number of sources for the brotform. One of them is brotform.com; they're in Minnesota, if you're in that part of the world.
Soundman (David)
I was really hoping to have an excuse to get some aliens in the house. Ah well. Thanks all for the replies. I'm thinking any basic wicker basket would do just fine, make sure to wash and dry it regularly.
I got my brotforms from the SFBI source listed earlier in this forum.
The prices there are very good.
The trick to using the baskets to get the spiral is to spray the form VERY WELL, especially the crevices, with your favorite no-stick spray and then flour VERY WELL. When you are done proofing/shaping you don't wash the form. You let it dry for a day and then use a brush (preferably stiff) to clean the form, especially the crevices.
Anne
I have to disagree with the idea of spraying oil on a wicker basket, then coating it with flour. I know several people here do that and I suppose it does work. However, in time the basket will develop an off smell that is the oil turning rancid. I have wicker, linen lined and plastic bannetons, all of which get only dry brushing of a 50/50 mix of rice flour and AP. When the dough is particularly slack I'll also dust the top of the dough before it goes in the form. Never had a stuck loaf. I use a stiff plastic kitchen brush to clean out the flour that remains after a sharp rap on the sink bottom. Leaving a gooey residue of oil and flour is asking for things that wiggle to join in the fun.
Eric
post. I use the exact same technique as Eric and haven't had a loaf stick, with the exception of one I retarded overnight in the fridge. I now retard, then shape in the AM and place in the brotform.
Bety