Dough without cling wrap, sustainable zero waste baking is the best thing that has happened during the pandemic!
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Making bread from scratch is so comforting. It’s tactile and satisfying on so many levels.. and the fragrance of bread baking in the oven? Heaven. All that effort to make something so soul nourishing can be taken to the next level by making it completely zero waste too! Dough with out cling wrap is a given, take your containers to the bulk food store to fill with flour. And of course nurturing a sourdough mother is next level. It avoids packet yeast and makes even better bread.
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Which is why it’s so frustrating when it doesn’t work out. We make heaps of bread at Apiwraps central – being a Steiner family we embraced the art during the playgroup early childhood phase and, well, practicing anything enough times gives a chance to figure out the basics and teak your approach!
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Baking tips
These are a few things I’ve learned along the way…
1. Give it plenty of kneading love *before* you put it to bed. This is what I consider the most important step in baking bread. Roll it out and layer it over a few times to get a really light bread and a crunchy crust.
2. Keep it warm – make sure there are no draughts. If your kitchen is super chilly, put the proving dish in the sink and fill the basin with hot (not boiling) water.
3. Make sure it’s got room to grow! If all goes well you’ll have a bigger ball of dough when proofing is done – choose a bigger dish than you think you’ll need.
4. Give it long enough, but not too long – between one and a half and two and a half hours is the sweet spot. Set a timer.
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5. Cover it – but don’t use cling wrap! Covering keeps the warmth and humidity in the bowl. Plastic will increase the moisture and make the dough slimy. Apiwraps are the best solution – allowing a little bit of air circulation, making a barrier to keep dust and microbes out, and saving the planet with their reusable beeswax love
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Which Apiwrap to use?
The best sized Apiwraps for covering mixing bowls are our large and extra large wraps – The Apiwrap Set has one of each – and you can order un-packaged add ons at a discounted price too. All with free shipping world wide.
And of course, because Apiwraps are so versatile, the same wrap you use to cover your proofing dough can be used to wrap your loaf once it’s done. Storing bread in beeswax wraps is a great way to stop your bread drying out and going stale.