How to use a proofing basket (banneton)

A proofing basket — a banneton — is the single cheapest tool that changes the loaf you can make. It does one job, and it does it better than anything you can improvise: it cradles a wet, high-hydration dough through its final rise so the loaf holds a tall, round shape instead of relaxing into a puddle on the counter. The rattan also wicks a little moisture from the surface for a better crust, and leaves the flour-dusted spiral pattern that a banneton loaf is known for. It is not complicated to use — but there are a handful of steps that separate a clean-releasing, beautifully shaped loaf from a sticky, torn disaster, and almost all of them come down to preparation.

If you're still deciding which basket to buy, our sourdough proofing basket set review covers a good all-in-one kit, and the wider sourdough tools guide shows where the basket fits among the few tools that actually matter. This guide is about how to use one you already have.

Season and flour it before the first bake

This is the step everyone skips and everyone regrets. Straight out of the packaging, rattan is thirsty and grabby — it will pull moisture from a wet dough and grip it, and the dough will weld itself into the weave and tear when you try to turn it out. Season a new basket first: mist it very lightly with water, then dust it generously with flour, working the flour into the grooves of the coil with your hand. Rice flour is the secret weapon here — it doesn't absorb water and gelatinize the way wheat flour does, so it stays powdery against the dough and releases far more reliably. A 50/50 mix of rice flour and all-purpose works well if you want the pattern to hold too.

For the first several bakes, err heavily on the side of too much flour, not too little. As the basket is used, a thin seasoned layer builds up in the weave and it becomes progressively more non-stick, until eventually a light dusting is all it needs. Think of it like seasoning a cast-iron pan: the first few uses need babying, then it just works.

Shape the dough to fit the basket

A banneton supports a shape; it doesn't create one. The dough goes in already shaped, with the tension you built during shaping holding it together. Match the shape to the basket: a round basket proofs a boule, so shape a tight round ball; an oval basket proofs a batard, so shape a longer torpedo. The key move is building surface tension — dragging the dough gently across an unfloured patch of counter, or folding it in on itself, until the outside skin is taut and smooth. That taut skin is what holds the loaf up during the proof and gives you a high, round finished shape.

Place the shaped dough into the floured basket seam-side up — the smooth, taut side faces down against the rattan, and the seam (the messier, folded side) faces up. When you later turn the basket over onto your baking surface, the loaf flips so the smooth side is on top, ready to score, and the seam ends up on the bottom. Pinch the seam closed if it looks loose. If the dough is very slack, you can lightly flour the top too before covering it.

Why the basket wicks moisture and leaves the spiral

Two things are happening while the dough sits in the basket. First, the rattan draws a small amount of moisture out of the dough's surface, drying it very slightly. That skin-drying is a good thing: a slightly drier surface crisps and browns better in the oven, and it helps the loaf hold a clean edge when you score it. Second, the spiral ridges of the coil press gently into that surface and, with the flour dusted between them, leave the decorative concentric-ring pattern you see on a finished banneton loaf. The pattern is cosmetic, but the moisture-wicking is functional — it's part of why a banneton loaf often has a better crust than one proofed in a plain bowl.

Cold proof or room proof?

Once the dough is in the basket, cover it (a shower cap, a large plastic bag, or a damp towel all work) so the surface doesn't dry out too much, and let it complete its final proof. You have two routes:

Room-temperature proof:leave it out until the dough is puffy and passes the poke test — press a floured finger gently into the side and the dent should spring back slowly and partially, not instantly (underproofed) or not at all (overproofed). Depending on your kitchen this usually takes somewhere in the region of one to three hours. It's faster, but the timing window is less forgiving.

Cold proof (retard):put the covered basket straight into the fridge for anywhere from about 8 to 48 hours. This is the sourdough baker's favorite for good reason: the cold slows fermentation to a crawl, so the timing is far more forgiving, the flavor develops more complexity, and — importantly — a chilled, firm dough is much easier to score and turn out cleanly than a soft room-temperature one. You can bake straight from the fridge; there's no need to bring it back to room temperature first.

Turning out onto parchment or a peel

This is the moment of truth, and a well-seasoned basket makes it easy. Have your landing surface ready first — a sheet of parchment on a peel or an upturned tray, or the parchment in a preheated Dutch oven. Turn the basket over the surface and let the dough fall out under its own weight; a gentle shake or a light tap on the base is usually all it needs. Resist the urge to yank or dig at it. If it's reluctant, it's almost always a flouring problem rather than a technique problem — the fix is more flour next time, not more force this time.

Once it's out, score the top with a lame or a sharp blade to control where the loaf expands, and bake. A chilled dough scores much more cleanly than a warm, slack one, which is one more reason the cold proof is worth doing. To tell when the finished loaf is actually baked through — a matter of internal temperature, not the clock — see our bread thermometer guide.

Cleaning and storing the basket

The care routine is short and important: don't wash the rattan with soap and water.Soaking a banneton makes it musty and can loosen the coil. Instead, after the loaf comes out, tap the empty basket to knock loose the excess flour, then let it air-dry completely and uncovered before you put it away — storing it even slightly damp is how bannetons turn moldy. Every so often, use a dry brush to clear built-up flour from the grooves. If your basket came with a linen liner, that's the washable part: launder the liner rather than the basket when you want a truly clean surface. Treated this way a cheap rattan basket lasts for years and only gets better at releasing.