The Many Use a Towel in Sourdough (Towel Day)

In the immortal words of Douglas Adams, DON’T PANIC! 

Dear Sourdoughmaniacs, 

I’m sure many of you know I am always down for a good book, or two… or three – my fellow bookworms can relate – and for me Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy is truly iconic. 

So, in honor of it being Towel Day, and in the spirit of not taking ourselves and life too seriously, I’ve prepared a very special DIY guide for you today. What is it, you might ask?  Well, in true Intergalactic Hitchhiker meets Sourdough Mania fashion, I am going to tell you a few great ways a towel can come in handy for sourdough baking. 

As always, swipe to get starte(r)d. 

GREAT FOR PROOFING BAGUETTES

A towel, especially one that is no longer super soft, works great as a makeshift baker’s couche. All you need to do is give it a generous coating of flour then fold it into little “baguette tunnels”.  The towel’s structure will give your proofing baguettes extra support and ensure they come out of their proofing stage puffy and ready for a great oven spring.

If you are worried that the towel’s texture might mess with your dough, you can line it with a clean kitchen or linen cloth. 

CAN LINE A PROOFING BASKET

A towel can also double as a lining for your proofing basket. To secure it, you can use a piece of string that you tie around your basket, or even just leave it as is. Again, don’t forget to flour the towel though. You don’t want your dough to stick to it. 

GREAT FOR SWEAT WICKING

We all know kitchens get hot when there’s a sourdough baker afoot. Whether it’s from your oven working at full blast or your dough giving you trouble and making your sweat… a towel has you covered. You can use it to wick away any pesky perspiration and keep yourself in baking form. 

WILL KEEP YOUR DOUGH OR STARTER WARM

Bubbling starters and rising breads like it warm. Too many quick temperature changes such as cold air from an open window can shock wild yeast cultures and prevent them from working as optimally as possible. If you need to protect your starter or rising dough while you air out a room, cover it with a towel and presto – problem solved!

BONUS: 

If, like me, you are prone to sitting in front of the oven watching your sourdough creations bake, fold up a towel and use it as a makeshift cushion! Comfort is key. 

Or, you know, if you want to feel like a Sourdough Superhero, tie it around yourself like a cape while you knead. 

HAPPY TOWEL DAY TO EVERYONE

The world of Sourdough Mania and the Galaxy is your oyster!

If you can come up with more tips and tricks on how a towel can come in handy for a baker, please share them, so we can all have a bit of fun together. And please tag me. 

Have a nice day and let’s bake the world a better place.

Yours truly fermented,

Anita 

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