Anyone have any tips for preventing your perfectly shaped and delicately handled dough from sticking to the excessively floured towel in the proofing bowl after 12 hours?
Let me know if the recipe is necessary. I’m so angry right now my neck hurts.
by dhoepp
48 Comments
EUNeutralizer
I had problems with towels for the same reason before switching up to bannetons. But what worked for me before bannetons was rice flour, I spread it in the towel very vell and my dough never sticked again.
Background-Ant-8488
Use rice flour, not wheat flour!
WildBillNECPS
I dust with rice flour, sometimes cornstarch as well. Never had a problem since thanks to people here.
MeringueFalse495
What’s the point of proofing in the towel? Why not just proof in the bowl?
MarsupialOk3275
I use corn flour and a thin, old tea towel that breathes well.
GrabAggressive8743
Use flour but change the towel out for a flour sack towel or a tea towel. They are less course and the fibers won’t stick to your bread. Hope this helps!
Casus__Belly
Dusting with semolina seems to do the trick too.
ChillFinn
Never had any problems just using wheat flour. Can you share your method of shaping? How long do you leave the bread sit after preshape etc?
psilosophist
What kind of flour did you use? If it’s wheat flour, that’s the issue – the flour you dusted the towel with doesn’t know it’s not supposed to bond with the flour in your dough.
Use rice flour for dusting, it doesn’t form gluten so it will stick to the dough but won’t form a bond between the dough and the towel.
TopDogChick
As others have said, rice flour is the way to go to prevent sticking! It doesn’t have gluten so it doesn’t get absorbed by the bread and stick nearly as badly. Another “trick” that I’ve found really helps with sticking is to use some kind of topping/coating. I like coating my sourdough in seeds, and this has the double purpose of making it nearly impossible to stick to my banneton. You definitely still want to flour the banneton, but I never have sticky bread this way.
Select_Requirement72
I do not use terry towels I use what used to be called flour sack towels
ServingPlate
Rice Flour
chodanutz
I do a mixture of half rice flour/half AP on my banneton and that seems to help.
-andersen
Rice flour!
Oppor_Tuna_Tea
Rice flour
atduvall11
As some others have said, I think it’s the type of towel you’re using. You want linen, tea towel, etc. Not terry cloth. I switched to banneton and have zero issues with any type of flour but recently jumped on the rice flour train and that’s going well, too
reality_raven
Proofing baskets.
i___love___pancakes
I simply do not use a towel.
step_on_legoes_Spez
I mix rice and wheat flour.
hotandchevy
Time to get a deeper bowl!
But as everyone else says rice flour (or something gluten free) will help too. Sometimes I use seeds.
rugmitidder
Rice flour! And make sure the towel isn’t wet
thackeroid
If you are using wheat flour, the starch is turning into a glue. So you don’t want to use wheat flour. It’s not the gluten that sticks it’s the starch mixed with moisture
Slow_Manager8061
Looks over fermented
frelocate
While I definitely believe that rice flour is probably better than wheat flour for this usage, my unpopular take is that unless you are making a very high hydration dough, a properly fermented dough with sufficient gluten development and good shaping with good tension shouldn’t really *need* the flour… it’s more insurance.
Without the details of your ingredients, process, temperatures, and timing, it’s hard to give holistic advice or troubleshoot. It does sound like your shaping could use some help. Bake With Jack has a good [video](https://youtu.be/FjPqKN6ElX4?si=bYfw8BcM6QzZ0DZC) about dough handling with some excellent advice for pre-shaping and shaping.
lfren79
I use linen and it comes off clean for me. I think it’s probably the longer nap on that type of towel that is causing some of the trouble!
trimbandit
Rice flour will help. Put rice in a blender to make your own. This dough could also be overfermented
stabbystabbison
Well floured banneton. At this point I don’t even need to add more flour to it anymore, it seems to have ‘cured’ itself to a nonstick state
Makasmonsters
Would definitely recommend changing your type of towel! Flour sack style towels work best for me.
Same thing happened the first loaf i made, also used a terry towel. Bought grocery store cheese cloth used with a little rice flour and that worked amazingly. Upgraded my cheese cloth to nicer ones hope that works just as well.
Longjumping_Fly6018
Don’t put it on fabric. Put parchment underneath or use a silicone basket. To get it out Put flour down on a board plop it out and some flour on top, and just reshape it. Put in your baking pan and cook
brycebgood
Rice flour. Haven’t had one stick in years.
selahhuv
I don’t think this a matter of towel or flour. This dough looks over fermented which is why it’s so sticky.
applepiehoneymuffin
You wanna use a flour without gluten in it. Gluten is what gets sticky. Rice flour is good. I’ve also used cocoanut flour but it does have a taste to it.
jasonj1908
Banneton with rice flour is the best way to avoid this. Don’t use a kitchen towel like this and instead use canvas specifically made for proofing bread. It won’t stick.
SqnZkpS
Get something smoother. Your towel is too hairy.
Peachy_pearr9
I only once had an issue with sticking to the towel when dusting with flour. Not sure why, but I still use flour to this day. Did you put a plastic covering over the bread while proofing, that could have trapped moisture in the bowl causing it to stick to the dough.
I usually lightly dust the towel and then dust my loaf just before I do the envelope fold and place it in my towel.
TheLittlestRachel
I think it’s a towel problem instead of any other problem. I have some tea towels and they are just basically flat cotton (no loops like a terry cloth towel) so the bread doesn’t have any loops to get attached to. I don’t flour my towel, I do flour the loaf before sticking it in the towel lined bowl. That’s what works for me. Good luck!
Logbotherer99
Don’t use a towel
Secretary-Foreign
I lightly oil my basket and coat it with rice flour. No towel used. Never sticks at all and the bowl is like a whicker basket!
saboolean
Rice flour + flour the bread lightly not the towel+ use a smoother weave towel like a dish towel or get a special bread one that fits over bowls or banneton.
Mental-Freedom3929
Use rice flour or rye, do not wash the cloth, just shake it out. It will develop a good non stick layer. Try to find real 100% linen fabric, usually available in arts and crafts stores.
MyGodItsFullofScars
Rice flour made a big difference for me.
FreshSatisfaction184
Your dough shouldn’t go into the basket until there is a nice skin on top from stretching.
Erinseattle
Disposable hair nets work best. $.08 each on Amazon. I use them a few times, unless a loaf with sweet inclusions leaves a sticky residue.
48 Comments
I had problems with towels for the same reason before switching up to bannetons. But what worked for me before bannetons was rice flour, I spread it in the towel very vell and my dough never sticked again.
Use rice flour, not wheat flour!
I dust with rice flour, sometimes cornstarch as well. Never had a problem since thanks to people here.
What’s the point of proofing in the towel? Why not just proof in the bowl?
I use corn flour and a thin, old tea towel that breathes well.
Use flour but change the towel out for a flour sack towel or a tea towel. They are less course and the fibers won’t stick to your bread. Hope this helps!
Dusting with semolina seems to do the trick too.
Never had any problems just using wheat flour. Can you share your method of shaping? How long do you leave the bread sit after preshape etc?
What kind of flour did you use? If it’s wheat flour, that’s the issue – the flour you dusted the towel with doesn’t know it’s not supposed to bond with the flour in your dough.
Use rice flour for dusting, it doesn’t form gluten so it will stick to the dough but won’t form a bond between the dough and the towel.
As others have said, rice flour is the way to go to prevent sticking! It doesn’t have gluten so it doesn’t get absorbed by the bread and stick nearly as badly. Another “trick” that I’ve found really helps with sticking is to use some kind of topping/coating. I like coating my sourdough in seeds, and this has the double purpose of making it nearly impossible to stick to my banneton. You definitely still want to flour the banneton, but I never have sticky bread this way.
I do not use terry towels I use what used to be called flour sack towels
Rice Flour
I do a mixture of half rice flour/half AP on my banneton and that seems to help.
Rice flour!
Rice flour
As some others have said, I think it’s the type of towel you’re using. You want linen, tea towel, etc. Not terry cloth. I switched to banneton and have zero issues with any type of flour but recently jumped on the rice flour train and that’s going well, too
Proofing baskets.
I simply do not use a towel.
I mix rice and wheat flour.
Time to get a deeper bowl!
But as everyone else says rice flour (or something gluten free) will help too. Sometimes I use seeds.
Rice flour! And make sure the towel isn’t wet
If you are using wheat flour, the starch is turning into a glue. So you don’t want to use wheat flour. It’s not the gluten that sticks it’s the starch mixed with moisture
Looks over fermented
While I definitely believe that rice flour is probably better than wheat flour for this usage, my unpopular take is that unless you are making a very high hydration dough, a properly fermented dough with sufficient gluten development and good shaping with good tension shouldn’t really *need* the flour… it’s more insurance.
Without the details of your ingredients, process, temperatures, and timing, it’s hard to give holistic advice or troubleshoot. It does sound like your shaping could use some help. Bake With Jack has a good [video](https://youtu.be/FjPqKN6ElX4?si=bYfw8BcM6QzZ0DZC) about dough handling with some excellent advice for pre-shaping and shaping.
I use linen and it comes off clean for me. I think it’s probably the longer nap on that type of towel that is causing some of the trouble!
Rice flour will help. Put rice in a blender to make your own. This dough could also be overfermented
Well floured banneton. At this point I don’t even need to add more flour to it anymore, it seems to have ‘cured’ itself to a nonstick state
Would definitely recommend changing your type of towel! Flour sack style towels work best for me.
Use food handling hair nets. No flour necessary.
https://preview.redd.it/1ph20glrn9se1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a84acb69cf082e63acf334ff056bf0c7aa6c8feb
Same thing happened the first loaf i made, also used a terry towel. Bought grocery store cheese cloth used with a little rice flour and that worked amazingly. Upgraded my cheese cloth to nicer ones hope that works just as well.
Don’t put it on fabric. Put parchment underneath or use a silicone basket. To get it out Put flour down on a board plop it out and some flour on top, and just reshape it. Put in your baking pan and cook
Rice flour. Haven’t had one stick in years.
I don’t think this a matter of towel or flour. This dough looks over fermented which is why it’s so sticky.
You wanna use a flour without gluten in it. Gluten is what gets sticky. Rice flour is good. I’ve also used cocoanut flour but it does have a taste to it.
Banneton with rice flour is the best way to avoid this. Don’t use a kitchen towel like this and instead use canvas specifically made for proofing bread. It won’t stick.
Get something smoother. Your towel is too hairy.
I only once had an issue with sticking to the towel when dusting with flour. Not sure why, but I still use flour to this day. Did you put a plastic covering over the bread while proofing, that could have trapped moisture in the bowl causing it to stick to the dough.
I usually lightly dust the towel and then dust my loaf just before I do the envelope fold and place it in my towel.
I think it’s a towel problem instead of any other problem. I have some tea towels and they are just basically flat cotton (no loops like a terry cloth towel) so the bread doesn’t have any loops to get attached to. I don’t flour my towel, I do flour the loaf before sticking it in the towel lined bowl. That’s what works for me. Good luck!
Don’t use a towel
I lightly oil my basket and coat it with rice flour. No towel used. Never sticks at all and the bowl is like a whicker basket!
Rice flour + flour the bread lightly not the towel+ use a smoother weave towel like a dish towel or get a special bread one that fits over bowls or banneton.
Use rice flour or rye, do not wash the cloth, just shake it out. It will develop a good non stick layer. Try to find real 100% linen fabric, usually available in arts and crafts stores.
Rice flour made a big difference for me.
Your dough shouldn’t go into the basket until there is a nice skin on top from stretching.
Disposable hair nets work best. $.08 each on Amazon. I use them a few times, unless a loaf with sweet inclusions leaves a sticky residue.
https://preview.redd.it/7vykcr0r6ase1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=58b714f558d400c2da29940263f8e4f78db96578
Use rice flour
I use rice flour. I also use a plain cotton towel or I use a silicone banneton
I use a lightly oiled mixing bowl. It’s easy and I’ve never had an issue with my bread.