Brod & Taylor Banneton (Batard) Set of 2

A proofing basket that gives your dough somewhere to hold its shape during the final rise, instead of spreading flat. Made from upcycled sugarcane pulp and bamboo rather than the traditional rattan - same job, easier to keep clean, and it nests with other bannetons for storage instead of taking up a shelf each.

Why I love it: I've tried a few different bannetons over the years, and this one's become my favourite - it's noticeably lighter than the willow or rattan versions, and because it's made from sugarcane pulp and bamboo rather than natural cane, it doesn't hold onto old flour the way traditional ones can.

Semolina or a little rice flour is all you need to stop dough sticking, and, at the same time, it produces that cool rustic look. Unlike the cheaper baskets that start splitting after a year of regular use, these are built to be used loaf after loaf, indefinitely.

One thing worth being upfront about, because I get asked this a lot: you don't bake in the banneton itself. It's a proofing basket, not a baking vessel - it holds the shape while the dough cold ferments, then you tip the loaf out before it goes anywhere near the oven.