Don't Waste Your Money is supported by our readers. When you purchase an item through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The Best Bread Basket

Last updated on May 5, 2023

Our Review Process

Don't Waste Your Money is focused on helping you make the best purchasing decision. Our team of experts spends hundreds of hours analyzing, testing, and researching products so you don't have to. Learn more.

Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in a category.

An unexpected craft emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether they were motivated by boredom or an inability to find bread in grocery stores, consumers turned to bread making. Sourdough was particularly popular due to a yeast shortage since sourdough doesn’t need that particular ingredient.

Whether you discovered bread making in 2020, or you’re ready to develop the talent now, there are a few tools you’ll need for the task. There are multiple stages to making bread. They are:

  • Gathering ingredients
  • Mixing ingredients
  • Fermenting (rising) the bread
  • Shaping
  • Baking
  • Cooling (proofing)
  • Final shaping
  • Final proofing

Obviously, the most essential tool to bread making is the oven. You probably already have one of those, though. You’ll also need a bread pan and a good surface for mixing and kneading your dough. Some bakers swear by a digital scale, which lets you measure ingredients like flour to ensure you’re following weight-based recipes to the letter.

The cooling portion of bread making is just as essential as the other phases. During proofing, bread doesn’t just cool. It also continues to rise, taking its final shape. This process requires the right environment to get the results you want from your baked goods.

Many bakeries use a basket called a banneton for the proofing part of bread making. These baskets are bowl-shaped and usually about 9 inches in diameter, giving plenty of room for a loaf of sourdough to take shape. Traditional bannetons have spiral-like rings on the sides, and those rings imprint on the side of your bread to give it an artisan effect.

The surface of your banneton plays a role in how your bread turns out. If you like a crispy exterior, you’ll want a basket that wicks moisture from the bread while it cools. Many bannetons also come with a linen liner to help with this moisture-wicking process.

Our Picks For The Top Bread Baskets

View All Recommendations
Product Overview
Our Take
 Top Pick

RORECAY Bread Banneton Proofing Basket & Accessories Kit

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

RORECAY

Bread Banneton Proofing Basket & Accessories Kit

Two baskets come in this set, one sized 10” x 5.7” x 3.5” and one measuring 9” x 9” x 3”. Each basket is lined with a washable linen liner that helps cushion your loaves while they cool. The baskets are made from natural Indonesian rattan cane, making them durable, odor-free and efficient at wicking moisture from the bread.

Overall Take

Extra AbsorbentNatural Indonesian rattan cane helps this proofing basket wick moisture from bread while it’s cooling.

 Runner Up

Superbaking Banneton Bread Proofing Basket & Tools Set

Superbaking

Banneton Bread Proofing Basket & Tools Set

This rattan basket comes with a splinter-free finish and top-quality materials to ensure it will hold up over many uses. The set includes the basket, a liner, a scoring lame that has a protector and five blades, metal and plastic scrapers and a dough whisk. You’ll also get a cleaning brush and instructions, all in neutral colors that will be a gr...

Overall Take

Perfect for BeginnersYou’ll get everything you need for proofing bread loaves in this kit, which includes a basket, scoring lame, scrapers, dough whisk, cleaning brush and

 We Also Like

Bread Bosses Banneton Bread Proofing Basket Gift Set

Bread Bosses

Banneton Bread Proofing Basket Gift Set

Measuring 9” x 3.5”, this proofing basket can work with any recipe that combines flour, water, salt and yeast. The ridges on the sides create fun spiral patterns in your bread to add that creative flair to your creations. It comes with a plastic dough bench scraper, a cloth liner and an e-book to help get you started.

Overall Take

Versatile UsesThe 1.5-pound capacity of this bread basket makes it a fit for a variety of uses.

 Also Great

WERTIOO Banneton Bread Proofing Basket & Tools Set

WERTIOO

Banneton Bread Proofing Basket & Tools Set

This set includes a 9-inch proofing basket along with a bread lame, dough scraper and a liner cloth. The rattan material is free of dyes and chemicals and designed to resist splintering. The edges have the traditional spiral ring pattern to give your bread that unique homemade look.

Overall Take

Easy to UseThe smooth surface and round design of this basket make it easy to release the bread and clean up after each use.

What to Look For

  • Traditionally, bread has been proofed at room temperature. But this can be a problem if your house tends to be chilly or the weather outside is extra cold. For that, some bakers use an oven. The oven is simply a storage place for the bread. You won’t be turning it on. You’ll put a glass bowl of boiling water on the bottom rack and the dough on the middle or top rack.
  • Knowing when your bread is fully proofed can be a challenge. Proofed dough will look full and puffy, having grown to twice its original size. Press on the dough and make sure it leaves an indent behind.
  • Underproofing can be a problem, but so can overproofing. Too much time in the proofing stage can cause bread to collapse.
  • Some slow the proofing process down by leaving it in the refrigerator, where the chill allows you to let your dough proof while you sleep. Make sure the loaf reaches room temperature before you slide it into the refrigerator.
  • Scoring your bread allows you to give it a decorative effect. You’ll want to wait until after you proof the bread to make the cuts. Otherwise, the bread will gush through the scored areas.
  • If you’re concerned about chemicals, look for a bread basket made from natural rattan with no chemicals involved.
  • Odors can also be a concern with bread baskets. You won’t want anything to taint the taste of your bread. Look for a proofing basket that promises to keep things odorless.
  • Some proofing baskets come with other tools that can help you with your baking ventures. A scoring lame will help you create those artistic sorts of lines on your bread once it’s finished scoring. Scrapers will help you clean up your work area when you’re finished. A cleaning brush will finish the job.

More to Explore

Few inventions have been as welcome as sliced bread. It’s even birthed a saying. How many times have you heard someone cite something as “the best thing since sliced bread?”

If you’ve ever tried to slice bread, you know why. It requires a serrated knife and a gentle touch to avoid mashing the bread or cutting portions unevenly.

Even though bread dates back 30,000 years or so, a device for cutting even slices wasn’t around until the 1900s. A jeweler named Otto Frederick Rodwedder invented a bread slicer and even had a prototype. But in 1917, a fire destroyed both his blueprints and his prototype.

There’s a happy ending to Rodwedder’s story, though. Determination pushed him forward, and by 1928, he’d invented a machine that could not only slice bread but wrap it as well. After some experimentation, he settled on a slice size of ½ inch. He sold his machine to a baker in Missouri, and that baker began manufacturing sliced bread.

More to explore