Over time, I’m noticing that my proofing baskets appear to have a bit of rattan delamination; small fibers are splitting off the main rattan pieces and sticking up like little hairs. I don’t think they’re causing any real problems; the flouring of the baskets seems to force them back down and even if not, they’re just fiber so no harm if the do get into the bread.
Is this a normal phenomenon? Should I be doing anything with them? Anything else I should know?
Thank you for any suggestions.
More info just in case it helps:
- I bake bread 2 - 4 times a month.
- Prior to each use, I dust with lots of white flour, work that into the basket’s reeds and crevices, then top off with some rice flour.
- After baking, I use a round fiber brush and scrub out most of the flour.
- Baskets are stored in a kitchen cabinet at room temp. The house is normally heated or air conditioned.
- I tried leaving the baskets floured/seasoned and inside plastic bags…bad idea. There was enough moisture that the baskets got moldy. I cleaned them with a brush, water, and then baked them to day and they returned to factory fresh. I haven’t tried storing them uncovered and seasoned.