Cleaning a proofing basket or a proofing basket requires relatively little effort and does not require extensive preparation. However, we regularly receive questions about proper cleaning and care. Here we are particularly concerned about the fear of vermin, bacteria and mold.
We have created a short, crisp guide to cleaning and caring for a proofing basket.
Cleaning the proofing basket in 3 steps
- First, let the proofing basket dry.
- Thoroughly knock out and remove flour residues with a dry brush.
- Occasionally: brush out with water and vinegar.
After removing the dough, the proofing basket must dry. Practically, you can use the residual heat after baking the bread to dry the basket. If the basket is thoroughly dried, the formation of mold is very effectively prevented.
Flour and starch residues can now be easily knocked off and dough residues can be easily removed with a hard, dry brush. Groundwood offers a slightly firmer surface and is easier to brush out. Rattan has more texture and gives the dough the nicer shape – but cleaning is sometimes a bit fiddly.
What do you need to pay attention to when cleaning?
Cleaning the proofing basket is not very time-consuming and should definitely be carried out after each use. Dry flour residues are relatively uncritical, since the flour is still used as a separating agent. Dough residues, on the other hand, must not remain in the proofing basket.
Once the dough residues have dried, they can be easily removed with a hard brush. Lightly curved brushes are available at specialty stores and are said to work better. However, an all-purpose brush with relatively hard bristles will work just fine.
Cleaning under running water or with washing-up liquid should be avoided. This does not achieve better results! While a wet proofing basket can be dried, the washing-up liquid can soak into the surface of the rattan cane and thus render the proofing basket unusable.
Disinfect proofing basket
Whether used regularly or if the basket has not been used for a long time, you should occasionally disinfect your proofing basket. To do this, you should brush the proofing basket with a water-vinegar mixture and then let it dry. It doesn’t matter whether you use a groundwood or rattan model.
The aim is to remove the breeding ground for mold spores and bacteria.
If this is too time-consuming for you, you can also bake the proofing basket unfilled in the oven at 120 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes to kill mold spores.
What do you need to clean the proofing basket?
- Regularly: hard, dry brush (e.g. all-purpose brush from Fackelmann)
- Occasionally: vinegar-water mixture or oven