--- title: "Banneton: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "A banneton is a basket that holds shaped bread dough during its final rise, keeping its shape and leaving a floury spiral on the crust." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/banneton" --- # Banneton A banneton is a basket that holds shaped bread dough during its final rise, keeping its shape and leaving a floury spiral on the crust. Also called Brotform, Proofing basket, Proving basket. A banneton is a basket for the final rise of shaped bread dough. It supports a soft, wet dough so it keeps a tall shape instead of spreading flat. Most are made of coiled cane or rattan, which leaves a spiral pattern of flour on the crust. Others are wood pulp, or a plain bowl lined with a floured cloth. The German name _Brotform_ means the same thing. ## How to use it 1. Dust the inside well with flour. Rice flour works best because it absorbs little water and does not turn sticky. 2. Shape the dough into a tight round or oval to match the basket. 3. Put it in seam side up, so the smooth top of the loaf faces down. 4. Cover and let it [proof](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/proof) at room temperature, or in the fridge overnight for a slower rise. 5. Turn the dough out onto parchment or a peel, [score](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/score) the top, and bake. A hot [Dutch oven](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dutch-oven) is a common choice. A round banneton of about 20 to 23 cm (8 to 9 in) suits a loaf made with about 500 g (1 lb) of flour. ## How to store it After each use, let the basket dry fully at room temperature, then tap or brush out the loose flour. Do not wash it with soap and water unless it is very dirty, and if you do, dry it completely in a warm place before you store it. A damp basket can grow mold. If you use a cloth liner, wash and dry it separately. ## Common mistakes * Using too little flour, or only wheat flour. Wet dough glues itself to the cane and tears when you turn it out. * Putting the dough in seam side down. The seam ends up on top and can split open in the oven. * Leaving a sourdough in a warm room too long. It over-proofs, spreads when turned out and loses [oven spring](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/oven-spring). * Storing the basket in a closed cupboard while still damp. ## In recipes Recipes may say "transfer to a floured banneton" or "proof in a lined bowl". Any bowl of the right size lined with a well-floured, smooth dish towel does the same job. ## Recipes made with it 1 recipe from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2025/09/Sourdough-Bread-37-scaled.jpg)Beginner Sourdough Bread Recipewww.onceuponachef.com · 100 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/sourdough-bread-recipe.html) ## Related terms * [ProofTo proof is to let shaped dough rise one last time before baking. Use the poke test to tell when bread is ready, underproofed or overproofed.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/proof) * [Sourdough starterA sourdough starter is a fed mix of flour and water full of wild yeast and bacteria that leavens bread. Here is how to make, feed and store one.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sourdough-starter) * [Oven springOven spring is the fast rise a bread loaf makes in its first minutes in a hot oven. Good proofing, scoring and steam give a tall loaf with an open crumb.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/oven-spring) * [Dutch ovenA Dutch oven is a heavy lidded pot, often enameled cast iron, for braising, stews, soups and crusty bread. Here is how to use and care for one.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dutch-oven) * [ScoreTo score is to make shallow cuts in the surface of food, such as duck skin, fish, pork rind or bread dough, to help it cook evenly, crisp and look neat.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/score) * [Bench scraperA bench scraper is a flat, handled blade for cutting and moving dough, scooping chopped food and scraping the counter clean.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bench-scraper) [More in equipment](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/equipment)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)