- Wood Pulp Banneton – Hand-made in Germany
If you’ve ever dreamed of baking crusty, aromatic sourdough in your own kitchen but didn’t know where to start, you’re in the right place. This guide is designed for absolute beginners: from understanding what sourdough is, to nurturing your starter, to finally pulling a gorgeous loaf from the oven.
Along the way, we’ll introduce you to three indispensable products – our Wood pulp Banneton 500g bread round smooth, the Banneton Cleaning Brush, and the 0.5 kg Long/Round Banneton Cloth – and show you how they simplify each step of the process. By the end, you’ll have the confidence to bake bakery-worthy sourdough with ease.
Sourdough isn’t just any bread; it’s made by fermenting a mixture of flour and water (called a “starter”) rather than relying on commercial yeast. Wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria ferment the dough, giving sourdough its signature tang, open crumb, and chewy crust. Because you control the fermentation, you can tailor flavor, texture, and hydration to your taste. (Source: Wikipedia.)
Beginners often underestimate how much the right tools matter. Proper proofing baskets (bannetons), liners, and cleaning accessories ensure consistent shaping, even fermentation, and effortless upkeep.
A well-floured banneton helps your dough hold its shape during the final rise, the liner prevents sticking, and a dedicated brush keeps everything hygienic. Investing in good tools from the start saves frustration and helps you achieve beautiful, even loaves right away.
When you’re new to sourdough, it’s better to begin with smaller loaves (0.5 kg to 0.75 kg) rather than tackling a giant 2+ kg boule. Here’s why:
With this in mind, we recommend using our 0.5 kg and 0.75 kg bannetons – perfectly sized for beginner-friendly loaves that build your confidence. You have a variaty of shapes and designs to chose from.
You can use any type of flour, especially rye due to its specific taste.
If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll need to build a starter over 5–7 days:
Day 1: In a clean jar, mix 50 g whole wheat flour with 50 g water. Stir until smooth. Cover loosely (with a cloth or lid ajar) and rest at room temperature.
Day 2–Day 5: Each morning and evening, discard half the starter (≈50 g), then feed with 50 g flour + 50 g water. Stir, cover, rest. Bubbles and a tangy aroma develop by Day 3 or 4.
Day 5–Day 7: When the starter doubles in volume within 4–6 hours of feeding and smells mildly tangy, it’s ready to bake with. Keep it in the fridge if you don’t bake daily; feed it weekly.
If you already have a mature starter, simply feed it 4–6 hours before mixing your dough (aim for peak activity – when it’s doubled).
If using a Dutch oven: carefully remove the hot lid, place the dough inside, put the lid on, and bake at 250°C for 20 minutes (steam trapped).
After 20 minutes, remove the lid, reduce temperature to 230°C (446°F), and bake another 15–20 minutes until crust is deep golden brown.
If using a stone: slide dough onto the stone, add a cup of hot water to the steam tray or mist the oven walls with water. Follow timing above but watch color closely.
Once baked, remove loaf and place on a wire rack. Allow it to cool at least 1 hour before slicing. This final rest lets the crumb set, preventing gummy texture.
Dense Crumb: Likely underproofed or insufficient gluten development. Ensure you complete stretch-and-folds and allow enough time for bulk fermentation.
Sticky Dough: Increase flour slightly during shaping, or let dough rest longer in autolyse. Use plenty of flour on banneton surface.
Overproofed Dough: Dough collapses or deflates easily. Shorten room-temp proof by checking more frequently; consider always refrigerating overnight for control.
Sticking to Banneton: Flour the cloth heavily, shake out excess, and dust dough’s surface with extra flour before placing in banneton. If sticking persists, sprinkle rice flour – they’re super fine and non-absorbent.
Baking sourdough is an endlessly rewarding journey. As a beginner, you’ll make mistakes – perhaps a loaf that’s too flat or a crust that’s too pale. But with practice, you’ll learn to read your dough’s cues and fine-tune hydration, fermentation time, and shaping technique.
Our Wood Pulp Bannetons, Banneton Cleaning Brushes, and Banneton Cloth become your trusted allies, ensuring your dough proofs perfectly and your products last for countless loaves.
Starting with smaller 0.5 – 0.75 kg loaves lets you build skills quickly, shorten feedback loops, and minimize waste.
Once you’ve mastered these, you can scale up to 1 kg and beyond – with confidence that your tools and technique will support you.
Embrace patience, enjoy the process, and celebrate each crackling loaf that emerges from your oven. Happy baking!
As part of our strategic vision, we have embarked on a rebranding journey. So, from 1st of November 2023, Brotformed24.de becomes Crust&Craft – a brand-new look and identity, which reflects our dedication to excellence and customer satisfaction.
As part of our strategic vision, we have embarked on a rebranding journey. So, from 1st of November 2023, Brotformed24.de becomes Crust&Craft – a brand-new look and identity, which reflects our dedication to excellence and customer satisfaction.
Our commitment to quality has stood the test of time for over a century. From the groundwood, we create a versatile pulp that forms the core of each bread form. Through the application of high pressure, excess water is meticulously extracted, resulting in a compacted fiber material that becomes the foundation of our bannetons.
Crafted with passion, Baked to delight
For nearly two centuries, the bread banneton (proofing basket) have been a baker’s trusted tool. Our company, Crust&Craft, began this journey in 1847, initially crafting molds from natural materials like straw.
Later, rattan became popular, but its ecological impact raised concerns. In 1920, we made a decisive shift toward sustainability by embracing wood pulp.
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