The 5 Best Proofing Baskets for Perfect Homemade Bread

If you’re making yeast bread, proofing — the process of letting the dough rest and rise before baking — is an essential step to achieve even, fluffy texture and the best flavor. While there are a variety of vessels you can use to proof dough, from glass bowls to loaf pans, a proofing basket is a fairly inexpensive gadget that professionals favor for best results.

Most proofing baskets are made from rattan, a soft, smooth wood that can be bent into a variety of shapes. This unique material absorbs a small amount of moisture, giving your dough the ideal surface tension and "skin" on the outside to hold its shape as it puffs up in the oven. Angela Reid, the head baker at Leland Eating & Drinking House in Brooklyn, says,“You can use a bowl and line it with linen, but proofing baskets make the proofing process much easier.” If you're a beginner, a proofing basket can make getting that perfect boule or long loaf shape much easier, and seasoned bread bakers will love the convenience of a proofing basket to streamline the shaping and rising process. A good proofing basket will be a staple of your home baking setup for years to come.

After looking at important factors like material, size, and shape, and consulting with bread making experts, we rounded up the best proofing baskets that are a must for any level of baker.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Breadtopia Round Rattan Proofing Basket at Amazon

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Best Splurge:

Frieling Brotform Proofing Basket at Amazon $27

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Best Set:

Emile Henry Bread Baker’s Dream Set at Williams-Sonoma $250

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Best Oval:

Saint Germain Bakery 10-Inch Premium Oval Banneton at Amazon $11

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Best for Large Loaves:

ANPHSIN Proofing Basket at Amazon $24

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Best Overall

Breadtopia Round Rattan Proofing Basket

PHOTO: Breadtopia

View on Amazon View on Breadtopia.com

Pros

This artisan-made proofing basket is a great value thanks to its durable construction, quality materials, and reasonable price.

Cons

It doesn't include a liner, and you may want to buy one.

This proofing basket from Breadtopia comes highly recommended from the pros. “We buy from Breadtopia because the rattan is stronger, and the quality seems better,” Reid says. Breadtopia sources its rattan directly from growers in Indonesia, where the baskets are also hand-made. If you dust the proofing basket well with flour your dough should release easily from the smooth material, but you may want to spend a few extra bucks on the sewn-to-fit cotton liner. Either way, you'll have a quality proofing basket at an excellent price.

Dimensions: 8.5 x 9 x 3.5 inches | Dough Capacity: 680 to 1130 grams

Best Splurge

Frieling Brotform Proofing Basket

PHOTO: Williams Sonoma

$27 at Amazon $40 at Williams-Sonoma $26 at Wayfair

Pros

We love the size and shape of this basket, as well as the smooth natural surface.

Cons

It's expensive, especially for its smaller capacity.

Made from natural cane, the thin but durable core of the rattan tree, this proofing basket is easy to work with, even if you’re a beginner bread baker. Just sprinkle flour inside and the dough should slide right out for an effortless transfer to whatever baking sheet or bread cloche you’re using.

"The height and size of this cloche are perfect for my boules," says Food & Wine senior editor (and resident bread expert) Jennifer Zyman. "Sometimes, proofing baskets can be too small, but this is just right." The smaller base-to-rim ratio allows for a more dramatic angle inside the basket, yielding rounder boules with a better chance of high oven spring.

The Brotform is rather pricy, especially because it's smaller in capacity than the other baskets on this list, but it's a luxurious investment for anybody with a baking habit. It also doesn't include a liner, and Frieling's custom liner is predictably more expensive than competitors, too.

Dimensions: 8 x 3.25 inches | Dough Capacity: 500 grams

Best Set

Emile Henry Bread Baker’s Dream Set

Emile Henry Bread Baker's Dream 4-Piece Set

PHOTO: Williams Sonoma

$250 at Williams-Sonoma

Pros

This high-quality, comprehensive set includes a proofing basket and everything else you need to start baking artisanal breads.

Cons

The bread lame and dough whisk aren't dishwasher-safe.

Whether you’re a beginner looking to jump into sourdough or an aficionado wanting to invest in a set of bread baking essentials, this kit is for you. The proofing basket is made from natural cane, with an 11-inch diameter suitable for large loaves. Once the proofing is done, you can put the dough in the included Burgundian clay bread pot (which is dishwasher-safe) for baking. "My Emile Henry cloche is one of my favorite tools for baking sourdough boules," says Zyman. "The lid keeps the bread tender, while the glaze means your creation won’t get stuck."

As part of the set, you also a dough whisk with a spiral design that incorporates flour and liquid without whipping in too much air. Lastly, the set includes a beautiful bread lame to professionally slash or score patterns onto loaves before baking. These last two items must be hand-washed, but given their size, that’s not too big of a chore.

Dimensions: 11 x 4 inches | Dough Capacity: 750 to 900 grams | Includes: Bread pot, bread lame, dough whisk

Best Oval

Saint Germain Bakery 10-Inch Premium Oval Banneton

PHOTO: Amazon

$11 at Amazon View on Stgermain.co

Pros

This basket is makes long, oblong loaves good for sandwiches.

Cons

Dough can stick to the uneven texture of the rattan unless you use the included liner.

A big round boule is beautiful, but when you cut the loaf, every slice is a different size — not optimal for making sandwiches. Our favorite oval basket makes oblong country-style loaves instead, which yield a more consistent slice profile you can stack with meats, vegetables, and condiments. It’s made by a small family business in Vietnam using natural rattan that’s dye and chemical-free, and its 10-inch size is ideal for medium to large loaves. "I like to have multiple shapes for different loaves of bread," Zyman says. "I use this for my longer loaves." The slightly taller-than-average height of this basket allows your dough to climb further, making loftier loaves. However, the rattan material is rougher than some competitors, with splinters and gaps that can stick to dough. We recommend using a liner even if you don't normally; thankfully, the Saint Germain basket includes one.

Dimensions: 4 x 10 x 6 inches | Dough Capacity: 650 to 800 grams | Includes: Liner

Best for Large Loaves

ANPHSIN Proofing Basket

ANPHSIN Oval Banneton Bread Proofing Basket

PHOTO: Amazon

Orig. $24 $22 at Amazon

Pros

This huge basket can accommodate the largest of loaves and comes with a bonus liner and scraper.

Cons

The included liner still sticks a bit, so you'll need plenty of extra flour.

If you run through bread quickly or simply want to make some large, impressive loaves for your next dinner party, consider this 13-inch rectangular banneton. The proofing basket is much longer than it is wide, the right shape and size to make thick sandwich loaves, and it offers a high volume. Another plus is the low price, made even sweeter by the fact that there's an included a scraper for shaping and portioning dough, and a linen liner to avoid sticking. Problem is, the rough linen fabric also sticks to dough somewhat. We'd advise using lots of flour in the basket and liner to prevent problems.

Dimensions: 13.7 x 13.8 x 3.14 inches | Dough Capacity: 900 to 1100 grams | Includes: Scraper, liner

Our Favorite Proofing Baskets

The Breadtopia Round Rattan Proofing Basket earned the top spot because of its combination of quality craftsmanship, low price, and ease of use. If you want to step up your baking game, the Emile Henry Bread Baker's Dream 4-Piece Set is an expert-recommended investment in a handy, well-made proofing basket along with three more useful bread tools.

Factors to Consider

Dough Capacity

For obvious reasons, the size and shape of your proofing basket determine how much dough it can hold. A rough rule is that an 8-inch round basket can accommodate 500 grams (just over a pound) of dough, enough for one small loaf. Reid says 9 inches is suitable for a 1,000-gram double loaf recipe. Keep in mind that the basket won't be anywhere close to full when you put the dough in; you need lots of room for it to rise. Lots of factors affect how much a loaf will expand while proofing, including the type of flour used (whole wheat makes a denser bread than white); inclusions like dried fruit, nuts, or seasonings; and even the exact temperature and humidity in your kitchen.

Loaf Shape

The shape of your proofing basket will be the shape of your finished loaf. For the most part you have two choices: the round boule or the oval batard. There are also less common options like triangular baskets, or extra-long, extra-narrow versions for baguettes. Consider what kind of bread you’ll be baking most often to determine which shape is right for you. If you’re an avid baker, you may want to invest in a few different options.

Liner

Many people like the ribbed pattern a bare proofing basket leaves on the finished bread. But if you want a smoother surface, you can line the inside of the basket with cloth. Typically made from linen or cotton, a reusable fabric liner releases the dough more easily than plain rattan or a dish towel. “Liners make cleaning and removing the dough a little easier, but aren't necessary if you flour your baskets well enough,” Reid says. Some proofing baskets come with a liner, and if not, you can generally purchase one separately for just a few dollars. Just make sure you're buying a liner that's sized to fit your particular basket.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you use a proofing basket?

Baking has a reputation for being pretty technical, but using a proofing basket isn’t complicated. It's simply a device for shaping bread dough during rising, to ensure an even-textured loaf.

If you're using a liner, put it in place, then dust the liner or bare basket with a good dose of flour, shaking out any excess. Shape the dough into a rough round or oval, and dust the top of it with flour as well. Gently roll the dough into the basket, with the smooth top of the dough in the bottom of the basket and the seam side facing up. Loosely cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rise according to your recipe.

When it's time to bake, remove the towel and dust the exposed surface of the dough with flour. Quickly flip it out of the basket and place it on or in the baking surface. Remember that the bottom of the dough in the basket becomes the top of the loaf of bread, so you should be careful to keep it smooth and intact.
How do you clean a proofing basket?

A proofing basket typically won't get more on it than dry flour, and it's pretty easy to keep clean. “If flour accumulates on the basket, knock off the flour into a bin and use your spray arm from the sink to wash the crevices,” Reid says. Mold can grow if moisture gets trapped in crevices, so it's important to make sure the basket dries out thoroughly between uses. Reid suggests placing it on top of the warm oven while your bread bakes for a speed boost.

If you're using a cloth liner, you can rinse it out in the sink (or soak it in warm water if there a dried-on dough bits), then air-dry. Some might be machine-washable, too.
Can you make sourdough without a proofing basket?

“Yes,” says Reid. “But using the right tools for the job makes it much easier and usually with better results.” Proofing baskets help wetter doughs, like sourdough, keep their shape as they rise. Without one, your loaf may wind up deflated and flat because the dough will expand outward rather than upward. You can use a mixing bowl at least two times the size of your loaf as a substitute if needed; just look for a fairly wide, shallow bowl, and be generous with the flour to avoid sticking.

Our Expertise

Cindy Brzostowski is a freelance writer and avid home cook who has previous experience in cookbook publishing. Her writing has been featured in Allrecipes, Blue Apron, The Kitchn, and EatingWell, among other publications. To determine the best proofing baskets on the market for this article, she used her own expertise, market research, and interviews with baking experts.

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