"Bertie Doe" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Dee, JT and Wayne.
>
> I wonder if I can pick your collective on things linen. I've just received
> a couple of bread books from Amazon used re-sellers. The chef/authors
> suggest using linen for proofing sourdough, although you can use cling.
>
> The local village 'linen' shoppe, has loadsa brightly coloured table
> napkins, tea towels etc, kinda boutique-style, with prices to match. There
> are a couple of linen shops in the big city, but what should I be asking
> for? I guess most will suggest 'non-dyed heavy duty linen'. I'd be
> surprised if non-dyed is available, but the question is, does this matter,
> if you're baking at 400F/200C?
>
> Bertie
I have bought the heavy non-dyed linen that is available at KingArthur
http://search.kingarthurflour.com/?N...uche&x=20&y=13
which is called a couche. It is 18x30.
Already I find that I 'want' a wider linen. So I'll be buying a 31' wide
which I will have to buy at a baking/restaurant supply house.
I'm not sure of your question regarding the temperature you bake at, as they
are used when proofing.
It depends to what level you want to take bread-baking in your life. For
years, I have used worn-out kitchen towels. I see many bakers books
suggesting using cling plastic wrap. This is something I will never do,
although others swear by it. I tried it a couple of times years ago. It
clings, befitting its own description. Others will come back with "It
doesn't cling for me!"
Last week I was in a baker's shop where one could view all sorts of bread
and pastries being made. They used the heavy-duty linen. It must matter to
them, otherwise, they'd use the cheaper flour-sack tea towels (which I've
used.)
Re flour-sack tea towels, I stopped using them years ago. For some reason,
when bleached they would turn pee-colored yellow.
The majority of the bread I make is without oil/fat. As I stated in another
posting - probably at alt.bread.recipes, I find that using these linen
couches will soak up any fat that is on your bread, so I don't use them for
anything else. (I had only used oil for the bowl to proof.) I noticed at
the bakery, they were linen couches for bread, not pastries, etc.
HTH
Dee Dee