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Stopped by a tiny bakery in Spokane and saw they proof their loaves in old wooden crates
I was driving through last week and popped into this little spot called Millstone. The whole place smelled amazing, but what got me was their proofing setup. They had these old, beat up wooden fruit crates stacked up, each holding a batch of dough. The baker said he found them at a flea market for five bucks each. He swears the wood keeps a more even, slightly humid warmth than plastic tubs, and the rough inside gives the dough something to grip as it rises. I watched him turn out a batch of sourdough boules, and the crust had this unique pattern from the crate slats. It made me think we get so hung up on buying the 'right' equipment. Has anyone else tried a weird proofing container that actually worked better than the standard stuff?
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wood.noah23d ago
That clay pot idea @piper_thompson31 mentioned is a good one. My grandma used a big, chipped stoneware bowl she kept in the cold cellar. The dough would develop this amazing tangy flavor overnight that I've never been able to copy with my fancy proofing box. Sometimes the old, imperfect stuff just creates a better environment.
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