A banneton shapes nothing, it just holds a shape while gravity argues

The theory of proving baskets and couches is well covered elsewhere. This is about the version you meet in practice.

What the basket is actually doing

A shaped loaf is under tension from its outer skin, and that tension is what holds the round or oval form. During the final proof, gravity works against that tension and the dough gradually relaxes outwards. The basket puts a wall in the way, so the dough spreads until it meets the sides and then rises upward instead.

It contributes nothing to the strength of the dough, and a badly shaped loaf comes out of a basket badly shaped. Understanding it as a restraint rather than a mould explains why some bakers proof successfully in a bowl and a cloth.

The rattan pattern and what causes it

Coiled cane baskets leave concentric ridges in the surface because the dough presses into the gaps between the coils. That pattern survives baking only if the surface stayed dry enough not to smooth itself out during the proof.

Heavily floured baskets give a sharper pattern, since the flour keeps the dough from bonding to the cane. A cloth-lined basket gives a smooth surface instead, which suits loaves that will be scored decoratively. The pattern is cosmetic, and nothing about it affects how the loaf rises or how the crumb turns out.

Why dough sticks and how to stop it

Cane holds flour in its texture, which is why a well-seasoned basket releases dough more easily than a new one. Rice flour is widely used because it absorbs less water than wheat flour and therefore stays powdery for longer. A mixture of rice flour and plain flour is a common compromise, giving release without an obvious raw coating.

Once the crumb sets, very wet doughs need more dusting, and a light dusting on the dough surface as well as the basket helps. Overproved dough sticks more, since the slack surface flows into the texture of the basket rather than resting on it.

Cleaning and looking after one

Baskets should be knocked out and left to dry completely rather than washed, since soaking the cane invites mould. Any dough left in the coils dries hard and traps moisture, which is where problems usually begin.

A stiff dry brush clears the coils quickly and is worth doing after every use rather than occasionally. Storing them somewhere airy rather than sealed in a cupboard prevents the musty smell that ruins a basket.

If a basket does develop mould, replacing it is safer than trying to clean it thoroughly enough to trust.

Couches and long loaves

A couche is a heavy cloth pleated into ridges, holding long loaves apart and stopping them spreading sideways. The pleats do the same job as a basket wall, restraining the dough while the tension in its skin relaxes. Heavy linen is traditional because it holds flour well and does not shed fibres into the dough.

The cloth is dusted rather than washed for the same reasons a cane basket is, and it improves with use. A folded tea towel on a tray does the job adequately, which is worth knowing before buying anything.

Domestic ovens routinely run twenty degrees off their dial, so trust a thermometer over the setting.

Improvising and when it matters

A bowl lined with a floured cloth restrains dough perfectly well and is what most bakers used before baskets became common. A colander gives a similar shape with the advantage of some airflow through the sides.

In the tin, the pattern is the only thing you lose, and it is worth nothing to the eating quality of the loaf. Where a basket genuinely helps is with slack doughs that would otherwise flow flat during a long proof. For a firm dough in a tin, the whole question does not arise, since the tin is already doing the restraining.

The takeaway

Shape the dough properly, and treat the basket as the wall that stops it going sideways while it waits.

Patience is an ingredient, and it is the one people leave out.