Best banneton for beginners (UK): sizes, materials and what to buy first

A banneton (or brotform) is the basket your shaped dough sits in for its final prove. It does three jobs: it holds a soft, high-hydration dough upright so it rises up rather than spreading out, it wicks a little moisture from the surface so the skin firms up and scores cleanly, and – if you use it without a liner – it leaves those spiral flour rings on the crust.

You don't strictly need one (a mixing bowl lined with a floured tea towel works), but a banneton is usually the second thing new sourdough bakers buy after a set of scales, and it's one of the cheapest upgrades that visibly improves a loaf. The catch is that listings are confusing: inches and centimetres are mixed, "750g" might mean dough or flour, and dozens of near-identical kits come with extras you may never use.

At a glance

Our shortlist from published specifications – jump to each product for the reasoning. No prices shown: they change daily.

Product	Best for	Key details	Link
Rattan Round Banneton Proving Basket – 10 inch (25cm) Top pick	Best single round basket	Natural rattan · 25cm / 10" round	View on Amazon Ad
Proofing Basket 23cm, Sourdough Banneton with Liner & Scraper	Best size for standard recipes	23cm / 9" round · Liner included	View on Amazon Ad
Sourdough Proving Baskets, 23cm Round & 25cm Oval (pack of 2)	Best two-basket set	23cm round · 25cm oval	View on Amazon Ad
Professional 750g Round Spiral Pattern Proofing Basket (Banneton Brotform)	Sized by dough weight	Round · Rated for 750g dough	View on Amazon Ad
Brod & Taylor Banneton Batard 10" Proofing Basket	Branded oval option	Oval / bâtard · 10" (25cm)	View on Amazon Ad
Kook Proofing Set – 2 rattan 9-inch bannetons with covers and scrapers	2 × 23cm	2 × 9" (23cm) rattan baskets · 2 basket covers	View on Amazon Ad

How we chose these bannetons

We haven't hands-on tested these baskets. We shortlisted bannetons listed on Amazon UK by checking the published size (in centimetres, not just inches), the material, whether a liner is included, and whether the size matches typical UK home recipes. We prioritised listings that state dimensions clearly, because a basket that's 2cm too small or too big makes a real difference to loaf shape.

Size: the decision that matters most

Banneton sizes are quoted as the top inside diameter (round) or length (oval). Roughly:

These are rules of thumb, and depth matters too, but the pattern is simple: most beginner recipes – including the classic "500g flour, 350–375g water" formulas – produce around 900g of dough, which sits nicely in a 23cm round or 25cm oval.

Too small and the dough domes over the rim and sticks to the cloth or your cling film. Too big and the dough spreads into a flatter, wider shape, which partly defeats the point. If you plan to bake bigger loaves later, a 25cm round is a forgiving middle ground; if you want neat, tall loaves from standard recipes, choose 23cm.

Round or oval?

• Round (boule) is the easiest to shape and fits almost every round Dutch oven or casserole dish of 24cm or more.
• Oval (bâtard) gives longer slices that are better for sandwiches and toast, but an oval loaf needs a pot that is long enough. A 25cm oval loaf will usually squeeze into a 26cm round pot; it won't fit a 22cm one.

If you're unsure, start round. Many bakers end up with one of each, which is why two-basket sets are so common.

Rattan, wood pulp or plastic?

Natural rattan (cane) is the traditional material. The coil leaves the familiar spiral pattern, it's rigid, and it releases dough reliably once it has built up a light coat of flour. It needs drying thoroughly after use to avoid mould.

Wood pulp (sometimes called "eco" or "spruce") baskets are moulded from compressed fibre. They're light, absorb moisture well and often release very cleanly, but they don't like getting wet: you clean them by brushing, never washing.

Plastic and silicone baskets are washable and hygienic, but they don't wick moisture, so the dough surface stays wetter. Fine for convenience; not our pick for a first banneton.

Liner or no liner?

Most baskets come with a fitted linen or cotton liner. With the liner in, you lose the spiral pattern but sticking is much less likely – a sensible choice for wet doughs and for your first few weeks. Without the liner, dust generously with rice flour (it doesn't absorb water the way wheat flour does, so it doesn't turn into glue). See our flour guide for more on that.

Beginner-friendly bannetons on Amazon UK

Caring for a banneton

• Season it before first use: mist lightly with water, dust heavily with flour, tap out the excess and let it dry. This builds the non-stick layer.
• Never wash rattan or pulp baskets unless absolutely necessary. Let them dry, then brush or knock out the flour. Wash the linen liner instead.
• Dry it fully after every bake – near (not on) a radiator or in a warm oven that has been switched off. Damp flour in a cold UK kitchen is how mould starts.
• If mould does appear, a long dry in a low oven (around 100°C, watched carefully – rattan is flammable) followed by a stiff brush usually sorts it.

Common beginner mistakes

1. Under-flouring. Use more rice flour than you think, especially in the first month.
2. Buying for the photo. A huge 13-piece set looks generous, but you need one basket, one liner and a scraper.
3. Mismatching basket and pot. Measure the inside of your pot before buying an oval.
4. Proving in a cold kitchen for too long without a plan. In a 16–18°C British kitchen, final proves at room temperature can take far longer than recipe timings suggest. Our cold-kitchen proving guide explains how to work with that, rather than against it.

The bottom line

For a first banneton, buy a 23cm round natural rattan basket with a liner – or a round-plus-oval pair if you want flexibility. Everything else is preference. Then put the money you saved towards a decent Dutch oven and a 0.1g-capable scale, which do more for your bread than any basket.