Home Bread-Bakers v106.n032.1
[Advanced]

sticky bannetons

"Fallingleaf" <fallingleaf8@comcast.net>
Sun, 6 Aug 2006 08:07:27 -0400
v106.n032.1
We recently visited some friends who live in the Adirondacks in NY 
state. On our way to kayak Lake Champlain, we stopped off at the 
following small, incredibly good (mostly bread) bakery:

Merricks Bread & Coffee
2574 County Route 10
Westport, NY zip code
(518) 962-2280

It's located in a very small town, not far from Rt 87 (the 
Northway).  I tried their Dill & Walnut bread which was 
incredible.  The baker, Phil, was extremely friendly and sold me 
(actually he practically gave me) some cracked rye that I hadn't been 
able to find anywhere else.

When I mentioned to him that my own wet sourdough breads are 
difficult to remove from my bannetons, he suggested I try flouring my 
bannetons with rice flour instead of the all-purpose and semolina 
flours I had been using.  What a difference that made!  Instead of 
struggling to remove the loaves, they practically fell out.  How come 
the 80 million bread baking books I own failed to mention this??

Anyway, if any of you are even remotely near Westport I suggest a 
visit to this bakery is in order.