Frieling 12-inch by 5-inch Oval Brotform

 (3 customer reviews)

After mixing your dough and letting it rise the first time, this basket helps shape the dough into a perfect loaf, with an interesting pattern on the crust. My first loaf with this basket turned out perfectly. It is much easier than hand shaping a loaf, and much more rustic/natural than using a loaf pan. The natural coils shape and decorate the loaf the old-fashioned way. When it's done rising, carefully remove it from the basket and care fully put it on a pre-heated bread stone in the oven. The loaves look and taste great. this particular basket shape is great for making sandwich bread. I make almost all of my bread with one of these woven baskets. It is so convenient, and the bread lookks and tastes great.

Transfer the risen loaf directly from the Frieling basket form to the oven stone (or to an oven peel if you are baking in a brick bread oven.) If you don't let the loaf rise more than it is supposed to it will not collapse when you do this transfer it. It is also customary to then slash the now floured and coiled top of the loaf with a very sharp razor blade (or french lame) 1/2" deep to allow for a spring of the loaf in the oven. Again, if you let the loaf rise until a thumb print remains in the dough it is past the point it should be.I don't use any water on these baskets. After the basket has air dried, just brush the flour out of the groves with a vegtable cleaning brush to keep the deeply coiled look to a loaf. Dust with flour before using it again.

I have been wondering about this tool: if you raise the bread in this basket, how do you remove it to "pop it on the oven" without making it fall? It simply won't work. It must be cooked in the raising pan.