How to Use a Banneton: A Beginner's Guide
If you've admired the spiral rings and floury finish on a bakery sourdough and wondered how they get that look at home, the answer is a banneton. Also called a proofing basket or brotform, it's one of the simplest tools in sourdough baking and one of the most useful. If you've just bought your first one, here's everything you need to know to use it with confidence.
What a banneton actually does
A banneton is a shaped basket that holds your dough during its final rise, known as the proof. It does three jobs at once. It supports the dough so it holds a tall, round or oval shape instead of spreading out flat. It wicks a little moisture from the surface, which helps form a thin skin that bakes into a crisp crust. And it leaves that characteristic flour ring pattern on the finished loaf.
Our bannetons are made from German wood pulp, a firm, breathable material that shapes dough beautifully and is easy to care for. You'll find them in oval and round shapes across several sizes to suit different loaves.
Seasoning your banneton before first use
A brand-new banneton needs a quick seasoning so dough won't stick to it. It's a one-time job and takes two minutes.
- Lightly mist or wipe the inside of the basket with water so it's just damp, not wet.
- Dust it generously with flour, working the flour into the grooves with your fingers or a brush.
- Tap out the excess and leave it to dry completely, ideally overnight.
Rice flour is the secret weapon here. It doesn't absorb moisture the way wheat flour does, so it creates a non-stick layer that releases dough cleanly. Many bakers use a 50/50 mix of rice flour and wheat flour for the best of both.
Flouring it for every bake
Before each use, dust the inside of the basket with a light, even coat of flour. The goal is full coverage without clumps. A flour broom makes this easy and even, and uses far less flour than throwing a handful in by hand. Pay extra attention to the seams and base, where dough is most likely to catch.
Shaping and proving your dough
Once your dough has had its bulk ferment, shape it into a tight round or oval and place it into the floured banneton seam-side up. The smooth side that will become the top of your loaf sits against the basket, picking up the flour rings.
From here you have two options. For a same-day bake, cover the banneton and let the dough proof at room temperature until puffy and slightly jiggly. For more flavour and easier scoring, cover it and place it in the fridge for a long, cold proof overnight. (Yes, the fridge is great for proving dough, even though it's the worst place to store baked bread.)
To bake, turn the banneton over so the dough tips out onto baking paper or a hot tray, score the top, and bake. The seam that faced up in the basket is now on the bottom of your loaf.
Choosing the right size and shape
Match the basket to how much dough you're working with. As a rough guide, a 1kg banneton suits a standard large loaf made with around 500g of flour. Too large and the dough spreads and loses height; too small and it overflows as it proves.
Shape is down to preference. Round bannetons (called boules) give you a classic cob loaf, while oval bannetons (called batards) produce a longer loaf that's easy to slice for sandwiches and toast. Plenty of bakers keep one of each. You can compare sizes and shapes across our banneton collection.
Keeping your banneton in good shape
Caring for a banneton is refreshingly low-effort. Never put it in water or the dishwasher. After each bake, let any stuck dough dry completely, then brush it out with a stiff banneton cleaning brush. Let the basket air-dry fully before storing it somewhere airy, so it never stays damp. Treated well, a good banneton lasts for years of baking. We'll cover cleaning and care in more depth in a dedicated guide soon.
The short version
- A banneton shapes your dough during the final proof and gives that signature floury ring.
- Season it once with rice flour, then dust lightly before every bake.
- Place dough seam-side up; tip it out to bake.
- Match the size to your dough (1kg basket for a standard loaf); pick round or oval to taste.
- Never wash it. Brush it clean when dry and let it air-dry fully.
Once you've used a banneton a few times it becomes second nature, and your loaves will look every bit as good as they taste.
