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3.0/5
1 review
Fotemix Banneton Proofing Basket Reviews

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    3.0/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    April 19, 2019
    Quebec, Canada

    Ok for this low price, but some problems.

    I've never used a Banneton before, so please note that I will be comparing this only as a first experience using one and can't say how it compares to other Bannetons. I do see some reviewers complained about the shape and pattern of the bowl, but this is actually how a traditional Banneton looks (from what I researched), though you can also get them in a more oval shape if you desire. Sourdough breads often need a Banneton, but I choose to use it for regular bread rolls, which you can also do. Make sure you have researched Banneton's as many bakers don't believe in washing them (ick) and others have complained that bugs come to visit, some suggest storing them in the freezer, basically there's a lot to learn with a product like this, if you're buying as a novice baker!

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    Banneton
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    My first impression was not great. Rattan Cane is apparently a natural and common thing for Banneton's to be made of, but I found I didn't like the smell very much. I don't believe it's chemical as some have stated, I think it's the natural Rattan smell, but it is quite pungent. I did give it a wash (Note if you do this you MUST make sure it dries well, there are so many nooks and crannies and don't submerge it) and this seemed to help, but it still smells of Rattan.

    The reason my first impression wasn't great, was because some of the Rattan was peeling and the staples could be seen. It wasn't as bad as their 'Bad Rattan' product picture listing, but not perfect either. Again, this could all be normal for Bannetons, but I've never used one before and can't say. Other than the look, I wasn't fond of the idea of the 'spiral' pattern, so I was happy they included a cover, so that I could make a round bread with a flat pattern. If you use the liner cloth, you won't get any spiral pattern and it will simply be a round, un-marked loaf. I definitely found, using this Banneton that my bread rose so much more than usual. I usually use a bread maker for the whole process, though I often make rolls that I let rise and then bake. For this, I tried two different types of Banneton bread (just search for a Banneton bread recipe, there are a lot!) and enjoyed them both.

    Another thing I found strange was that the linen liner seemed to leave little fluffy hairs all over my bread, not exactly appealing, but I live with cats so it's not out of the norm for me to eat hair. I do wonder though, if other Banneton liners have this issue. I washed it before use, though hung it up to dry, so you'd think any fluff would be washed off. Apart from these problems, I actually liked it. My bread rose a lot better and it was nice to be able to make a big, round rustic looking loaf. The breads I made with it tasted yummy.

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    Accessories
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    It comes with a bread lame and a scraper. Of these, I was most excited for and disappointed by the Bread Lame. I bake wholewheat rolls every week and was looking forward to an easy way to slash them, but frankly, I found the Lame ineffectual and as a result dangerous. Firstly, it's very sharp, like a straight razor, that's to be expected, but the cover is pretty dangerous. Like, to take the cover off, you have to press down and then pull, which definitely has the potential to go wrong, especially as it's natural to have your finger underneath when pulling in such a way. I was being very careful and still nicked myself before I realised, since at first you aren't sure how it's going to come out. Because pressing the 'lock' is tricky, you might inadvertently pull it too hard, fumble it and hurt yourself. I'd prefer one that was sharp on only one side, with a smoothly removable cover to prevent accidents. It's also difficult to leave it to dry with an exposed blade, and I dried it carefully and replaced it, but there must have been a drop of water in the cover and it came out rusty next time.

    Given all that, especially how sharp it was, I expected it would cut the bread easily, but it really didn't. I was having such a hard time getting it to cut the bread (slashing with the sharp side, obviously) that I was worried about cutting myself. In the end, I threw it out and decided to just use a sharp knife (which worked great).

    The dough scraper I actually really liked. Because it's plastic as opposed to metal, I can use it on my non-stick surfaces as well. It's the perfect shape for manipulating dough, I already have a similar one in metal, but prefer this for cooking/baking and have sent the metal one to my craft desk!
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    Summary
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    It might sound like I hate this Banneton and I definitely had some problems, but overall the price is really low and it actually worked well. I didn't dig the natural Rattan smell, peeling, staples or ineffectual yet dangerous Lame. That being said, I like the experience of using a Banneton, this price is lower than a professional one, it comes with a liner and I also loved the dough scraper. I believe I'll continue to use this Banneton, but not the included lame. It might be cute if it came with some recipes too, but I'm not going to mark them down for that.

    Pros:
    + Works well as a Banneton.
    + Comes with a Bread Lame, liner and dough scraper.
    + Has traditional Banneton spiral pattern/shape.
    + Helps Bread to rise better and makes large rustic style loaves.
    + Also a must for Sourdoughs.
    + Comes with a very handy dough scraper, which I loved.

    Cons:
    - Has a strong Rattan smell (reduced with washing).
    - Had some peeling points and staples could be seen.
    - Bread Lame is too easy to cut yourself on, protective cap is tricky to get off without accidents.
    - Bread Lame had trouble cutting bread despite it's sharpness.
    - Liner left tiny fluff hairs on my bread (I did wash it, so not sure why).

    Note (You should know):
    - Banneton's require a certain type of care, so do your research!
    - Be aware if you only brush and don't clean, you could attract insects.
    - A Banneton is for proofing/rising only and should be used to cook the bread inside. Place the bread in the Banneton (with or even without liner for spiral pattern) and cover with a dishtowel. Banneton should be face up (looking like a fruit bowl). Remove bread before baking by turning the Banneton upside down!
    - Bread Lame is for slashing rolls 'after-rise' so they can rise while baking without collapse.

    Recommended: I would say yes. If you're a beginner baker or curious about Banneton's, it's a low price to see if you like it, but the quality is not professional (reflects the price) and it's far from perfect.

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