How to Clean a Banneton (and Why You Should Not Wash It)

This is the one piece of sourdough kit where the instinct to wash it is exactly wrong. A rattan banneton is cleaned dry, and washing it is how most people ruin theirs.

Why washing wrecks a proving basket

Two reasons. Rattan and cane are porous and slow to dry, so a soaked basket holds moisture deep in the coil for days, which is how bannetons end up with mould. And the thin layer of dried flour that builds up in the grooves is not dirt. It is the non-stick surface. Wash it off and your next loaf sticks.

That flour seasoning is doing the same job as a well-seasoned pan. Bakers who have had the same banneton for years have almost never washed it.

The routine after every bake

1. Let it dry completely first. Do not brush a damp basket. Leave it a few hours until the flour goes powdery.
2. Tap it out over the bin to clear loose flour.
3. Brush the grooves with a stiff dry brush, working with the spiral rather than across it.
4. Air it properly. Somewhere with airflow, not sealed in a cupboard or a plastic tub.

When you actually do need to wash one

Only two situations justify it. Visible mould, or a build-up so thick and hard that it is flaking into your dough.

If you have to, rinse briefly in cool water with a stiff brush, no soap, then dry it thoroughly. Thoroughly means a warm airy spot for a full day, or twenty minutes in an oven at its lowest setting with the door ajar. A banneton put away even slightly damp will grow mould again.

Then re-season it: dust the inside with rice flour and work it into the grooves with a brush before the next proof.

Rice flour is the upgrade

If your dough sticks even with a seasoned basket, switch your dusting flour to rice flour. It has no gluten, so it cannot form the sticky network that wheat flour does against a wet dough. A 50/50 rice and wheat mix works well.

What not to do

• Do not use soap. It soaks into the cane and is hard to rinse back out.
• Do not put it in the dishwasher. Heat and water together will crack and warp the coil.
• Do not store it damp or sealed. That is how mould starts.
• Do not scrub off all the flour seasoning. You are removing the non-stick layer.

Frequently asked questions

How do you clean a banneton?

Dry. Let it dry fully after use, tap out the loose flour, and brush the grooves with a stiff dry brush. Do not wash it as routine.

Can you wash a banneton with soap and water?

You should not. Soap soaks into the cane and washing strips the flour seasoning that stops your dough sticking. Only rinse if there is mould or a heavy flaking build-up, and dry it completely afterwards.

How do you get mould out of a proving basket?

Brush it out, rinse briefly in cool water with no soap, then dry it completely in a warm airy spot or a very low oven with the door ajar. Mould means it was stored damp, so fix the drying and storage as well.

Why does my dough stick to the banneton?

Usually not enough dusting flour, or the wrong flour. Rice flour has no gluten and resists sticking far better than plain wheat flour.

For everything the basket does not cover, After Dough is a plant-based enzyme cleaner that lifts dried dough off bowls, jars, tubs and hands.