Drawn to its outside size
Holds up to 1,361 g of dough as a bâtard, with a liner.
Bread proofing equipment: what you need and what can wait
Proofing needs two things: something that holds the loaf's shape (a banneton, a towel-lined bowl or a pan) and a steady temperature, usually 75 to 78°F (24 to 26°C) for the rise or the fridge for a cold proof. A proofing box is the only piece that costs real money, and you can wait on it.
Start with a 9 in round banneton (or a lined bowl) and the fridge. Add a proofing box when a cold or very warm kitchen makes your timings unpredictable.
Our picks
Drawn to its outside size
Shape: round basket
9 in round cane banneton with liner
9 in (23 cm) round: about 750 to 1,000 g of dough
The size for the common 900 g loaf.
Drawn to its outside size
Proofs dough at 70 to 95°F with its water tray, doubles as a slow cooker, and folds flat for storage.
Drawn to its outside size
Heats and cools (41 to 122°F), so it can hold dough cool through a hot day or overnight.
How we know: weights and sizes are the makers' published figures, linked from each product page, and a dough range marked “our estimate” is our arithmetic on them. We do not perform hands-on testing. How we compare.
Hold the shape
A shaped loaf left on a board spreads. A banneton or a bowl lined with a floured towel holds it upright while it proofs, so it rises up rather than out. Size it by the total dough weight with the banneton size chart. A pan loaf proofs in its baking pan.
Keep the temperature steady
Dough at 68°F takes about one and a half times as long to rise as dough at 78°F, and at 65°F nearly twice as long. That is why the same recipe can take 4 hours on a warm day and 7 or 8 on a cold one. A warm spot (the oven with only the light on, the top of the fridge) and a thermometer get you a long way. A proofing box holds a set temperature, so the dough rises at a steadier pace; the bulk fermentation chart shows how much the temperature changes the time. Judge readiness by the dough, not the clock.
Cold proofing in the fridge
Most sourdough bakers proof the shaped loaf in the fridge overnight, at 40°F (4°C) or below, for 8 to 16 hours. It fits baking into the day, deepens the flavour and makes the loaf easier to score. Measure the shelf height: the basket plus a cover (a shower cap or plastic bag) needs about 5 in.
Bulk fermentation container
The first rise happens in the whole batch. A clear, straight-sided tub shows you when the dough has grown by the amount your recipe asks for; see bulk fermentation containers.
The starter needs a warm spot too
A starter fed at 75 to 78°F peaks in about 4 to 8 hours. In a cold kitchen it can take twice that. A small warmer like the Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home holds a jar at a set temperature; see starter jars and temperature.
Questions bakers ask
What temperature should dough proof at?
Most sourdough recipes aim for about 75 to 78°F (24 to 26°C) for bulk fermentation. The final proof is either a few hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
Can I proof in the oven?
Yes, with the oven off and only the light on; that usually holds 75 to 85°F. Check with a thermometer, and take the dough out before you preheat.
Is a proofing box worth it?
If you bake every week in a kitchen below 70°F or above 80°F, yes: it makes timings predictable. Otherwise a warm spot and the fridge do the job.
More equipment for this job
Keep what you own when it does the job. These are the other exact models we profile.
Drawn to its outside size
For temperature control around a starter jar
Brod & Taylor Sourdough HomeA small heating-and-cooling chamber for a jar, rather than a full dough bowl.
41 to 122°F, heats and cools8 × 10 in outside
Drawn to its outside size
For supporting a round loaf
King Arthur Baking Round Brotform and LinerA round cane basket and removable liner support the shaped dough before baking.
About 500 to 800 g of dough (our estimate)8.5 × 8.5 in outside
King Arthur Baking Standard Bread Loaf Pan
For a sandwich loaf in a dedicated pan
King Arthur Baking Standard Bread Loaf PanA corrugated coated loaf pan sold by King Arthur and manufactured by USA Pan.
About 650 to 750 g of dough (our estimate)
Drawn to its outside size
For covered bulk-dough storage
Challenger Breadware Proofing BoxA stackable container with a lid; it does not heat or cool the dough.
Inside 10.56 × 10.56 × 2.75 in12.5 × 12.5 in outside
Drawn to its outside size
For a standard 8.5 × 4.5 in sandwich loaf
USA Pan Small Bread Loaf Pan, 8.5 × 4.5 in (1140LF)The standard 8.5 × 4.5 in corrugated loaf pan, which USA Pan sells as its 1 lb size.
Up to about 750 g of dough (our estimate)9.13 × 5.06 in outside
Drawn to its outside size
For a 9 × 5 in sandwich loaf
USA Pan Medium Bread Loaf Pan, 9 × 5 in (1145LF)A 9 × 5 in corrugated loaf pan, which USA Pan sells as its 1.25 lb size.
About 850 to 950 g of dough (our estimate)9.63 × 5.63 in outside
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For a square-sided pain de mie
USA Pan Large Pullman Loaf Pan with Cover, 13 × 4 × 4 in (1160PM)A 13 × 4 × 4 in lidded pan for square sandwich loaves; bake it open for a domed top.
About 1,000 to 1,100 g of dough (our estimate)14.5 × 4.75 in outside
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For a smaller square sandwich loaf
USA Pan Small Pullman Loaf Pan with Cover, 9 × 4 × 4 in (1170PM)A 9 × 4 × 4 in lidded pan for a smaller square loaf; bake it open for a domed top.
About 650 to 750 g of dough (our estimate)10.5 × 4.63 in outside
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For two round loaves of 850 g to 1 kg
Brod & Taylor Banneton (Boule), Set of 2Two ridged 8.5 in round bannetons molded from sugarcane pulp and bamboo, rated by Brod & Taylor for 850 g to 1 kg loaves.
850 to 1,000 g of dough8.5 × 8.5 in outside
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For two oval loaves of 700 to 850 g
Brod & Taylor Banneton (Batard), Set of 2Two ridged 10 × 5 in oval bannetons molded from sugarcane pulp and bamboo, rated by Brod & Taylor for 700 to 850 g loaves.
700 to 850 g of dough10 × 5 in outside
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For a large round loaf
Frieling Brotform, Round, 10 inA hand-woven 10 in round cane brotform that leaves the classic floured spiral on a large round loaf.
About 1,000 to 1,250 g of dough (our estimate)10 × 10 in outside
Drawn to its outside size
For a round loaf in a basket you can wash
Breadtopia Banneton, RoundA ridged 8 in round banneton made in the USA from a wood-fiber composite that goes in the dishwasher, rated by Breadtopia for 680 to 1,130 g of dough.
680 to 1,130 g of dough8 × 8 in outside
Drawn to its outside size
For an oval loaf in a basket you can wash
Breadtopia Banneton, OvalA ridged 10½ in oval banneton made in the USA from a wood-fiber composite that goes in the dishwasher, rated by Breadtopia for 680 to 1,130 g of dough.
680 to 1,130 g of dough10.5 × 7.63 in outside
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For an extra-large round loaf
Frieling Brotform, Round, 11 inA hand-woven 11 in round cane brotform for a big round loaf, one size up from Frieling's 10 in.
About 1,250 to 1,500 g of dough (our estimate)11 × 11 in outside
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For a small round loaf up to about 600 g
Central Milling Round Proofing Basket (8 in)A handmade 8 in round banneton of coiled rattan with a linen liner, rated by Central Milling for up to about 600 g of dough.
Up to 600 g of dough8 × 8 in outside
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For a round loaf up to about 800 g
Central Milling Round Proofing Basket (9 in)A handmade 9 in round banneton of coiled rattan with a linen liner, rated by Central Milling for up to about 800 g of dough.
Up to 800 g of dough9 × 9 in outside
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For a round loaf up to about 1 kg
Central Milling Round Proofing Basket (10 in)A handmade 10 in round banneton of coiled rattan with a linen liner, rated by Central Milling for up to about 1,000 g of dough.
Up to 1,000 g of dough10 × 10 in outside
Drawn to its outside size
For a small oval loaf of about 500 g
Central Milling Oval Proofing Basket (8 in)A handmade 8 in oval banneton of coiled rattan with a linen liner, rated by Central Milling for about 500 g of dough.
Up to 500 g of dough8 × 5.9 in outside
Drawn to its outside size
For an oval loaf up to 800 g
Central Milling Oval Proofing Basket (10 in)A handmade 10 in oval banneton of coiled rattan with a linen liner, rated by Central Milling for up to 800 g of dough.
Up to 800 g of dough10 × 5.9 in outside
Drawn to its outside size
For a long oval loaf of about 1 kg
Central Milling Oval Proofing Basket (13 in)A long 13.5 in oval banneton of coiled rattan with a linen liner, rated by Central Milling for just over 1 kg of dough.
Up to 1,000 g of dough13.5 × 5.5 in outside
Central Milling Bread Loaf Pan, 8.5 × 4.5 in (RK900047)
For a standard 8.5 × 4.5 in sandwich loaf
Central Milling Bread Loaf Pan, 8.5 × 4.5 in (RK900047)A 1 lb, 8.5 × 4.5 × 2.75 in loaf pan of 24-gauge aluminized steel with a nonstick coating, sold by Central Milling and made by Choice.
About 650 to 750 g of dough (our estimate)