I haven’t baked bread in a while,” I thought, and then I started baking seriously, buying a book on the subject.
I never expected that I’d get so into bread making, to the extent of baking at home every week. I fully utilize both the fermentation and baking functions of my microwave oven, so it’s definitely getting its worth. I can only hope it doesn’t break down on me.
I bake bread like shown below. You can see my posts on Instagram under the hashtag ‘#むにパン’. Please do check it out and follow me. (For some reason, I couldn’t attach the link to Instagram.)
Continuing on our bread-baking journey, in today’s post, we’re tackling one of the initial challenges that every novice bread baker grapples with when starting out in their home kitchen: understanding and optimizing the work surface. Get ready to dive into my personal insights and get a glimpse into how I’ve turned this challenge into a rewarding part of the process.Continuing on our bread-baking journey, in today’s post, we’re tackling one of the initial challenges that every novice bread baker grapples with when starting out in their home kitchen: understanding and optimizing the work surface. Get ready to dive into my personal insights and get a glimpse into how I’ve turned this challenge into a rewarding part of the process.
- So, you want to start baking bread, but you’re not sure whether you should go for a board or a mat. Do you even need them?
- You already own a mat, but are wondering if a board is also a necessity.
- You’re looking to get serious about bread baking, and you’re curious whether a pastry board is truly essential.
- You can technically bake bread without a pastry board or mat, if necessary.
- Conclusion： if you’re serious about home bread baking, having a board would be beneficial.
- If you’re only making bread with low hydration or dough that doesn’t include secondary ingredients and isn’t sticky, a mat alone might suffice
- If you’re serious about baking bread, go get yourself a pastry board!
- Reference: The Pastry Board and Sheet I Bought
- In Conclusion
You can technically bake bread without a pastry board or mat, if necessary.
Is a pastry board necessary for bread making? This is a question that perplexes many beginners, and I was no exception.
Good pastry boards can be surprisingly expensive. I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t a cheap silicone mat suffice?” So, I purchased a mat without giving it much thought, not anticipating that I would become so engrossed in bread making.
However, to put it bluntly, if you have a stable, clean, and smooth work surface, you can knead and shape the dough there, and you won’t really need a pastry board or mat.
A ‘stable, clean, and smooth surface’ could be, for example, a kitchen countertop without any bumps, like a stainless steel worktop or a marble-like surface. I wouldn’t recommend any surface with grooves or crevices as ingredients can get stuck in them.
Nevertheless, rather than fretting over whether to get a board or a mat right from the start, I’d advise you to just start kneading dough, even if you’re slightly bothered by a few bumps. There’s so much more to learn from the actual process of doing.
Conclusion： if you’re serious about home bread baking, having a board would be beneficial.
For those of you who are resolved to properly take up bread baking at home, I strongly recommend investing in a sturdy pastry board over a silicone mat. There are two reasons for this.
Reason 1: It allows you to maintain cleanliness while kneading dough.
One concern is cleanliness. While there’s no issue using the space next to the sink as your work area, it inevitably collects minor dirt and residue from cooking, making coffee, or doing various other tasks, even if you clean it after every use.
If you knead the dough directly on such a surface, any residual grime could adhere to the dough. Therefore, using a pastry board or something similar can be superior from a cleanliness perspective.
Reason 2: Silicone pastry mats can be difficult to handle with sticky dough that has a high moisture or oil content.
With a silicone mat, it can provide some friction up to a point, but if the dough exceeds the mat’s grip or floats when you lift the dough, the mat can easily shift out of place.
Once you become familiar with handling dough and can predict its behavior based on the ingredients, you can manage with a dough scraper and some techniques. However, this not only takes time but can also be a significant source of stress.
Personally, I find that kneading bread dough can be stress-relieving. But having the mat shift because of the dough’s condition was nothing but stressful. Even when trying to gather and organize the dough using a dough scraper, it would catch or not slide smoothly, making the task challenging.
So, in my case, I ended up switching from a silicone mat to a board midway.
If you’re only making bread with low hydration or dough that doesn’t include secondary ingredients and isn’t sticky, a mat alone might suffice
Naturally, if the hydration ratio is low, the dough will be less sticky and easier to knead from the get-go, so you can manage without much trouble even with a silicone mat.
As a guideline, if the total amount of water (including water, eggs, milk, etc.) exceeds 67% of the flour’s weight, the dough can get quite sticky.
For instance, making dough for bagels, pizza, or Danish pastries with folded-in butter can be accomplished without much difficulty.
On the other hand, ‘rich dough’ types that contain additional ingredients, such as the dough for Japanese red bean buns or cream buns, or dough for butter-rich brioche, can become sticky and difficult to knead due to the effects of eggs and butter.
While it’s not to say that dough with a low hydration ratio or rich dough is invariably hard to knead, it’s safer to remember that you might struggle with these types of dough when using a silicone mat.
If you’re serious about baking bread, go get yourself a pastry board!
If you’re truly dedicated to mastering bread baking as a hobby, or if you have a dream of opening your own bakery someday, it’s better to buy a pastry board from the start.
The reason being, it makes it easier to replicate kneading and gathering the dough as described in recipes. This facilitates quicker improvement and allows you to get closer to your ideal loaf of bread.
One thing to note is that, while pastry boards are somewhat heavy and sturdy, they often lack friction on the bottom. Therefore, it’s recommended to work with a damp cloth or a non-slip mat under the board (as is also mentioned in the board’s instruction manual).
A non-slip mat is essential. However, remember that what’s going to slip, will slip.
Even with a non-slip sheet, if the force used to knead the dough exceeds the friction between the non-slip sheet and the pastry board, the board will slide. This is unavoidable.
Bread types that are less glutenous, such as those containing a high proportion of whole grains or rye, may require a stronger force when kneading the dough, so extra caution is needed during those instances.
Some boards may also be adverse to moisture, so personally, I think it’s safer to prepare a non-slip sheet rather than a damp cloth.
Disadvantages: You need a place to store the board. It can be a bit heavy.
Of course, unlike a mat, a pastry board can’t be folded.
Therefore, when not in use, you’ll need a place to store the board. I recommend securing storage space before deciding on a size to buy.
Pastry boards come in various sizes, but I’m using one that’s about 40×40cm. So far, I think storing it on a stand that can hold a cutting board upright is the best solution.
Also, depending on the size and material, the weight may exceed 1kg, making it surprisingly heavy. This weight does help make kneading the bread easier, but I believe storing it too high up could be dangerous. It might be safer to store it below eye level.
Reference: The Pastry Board and Sheet I Bought
CATSKILL Pastry Board (MADE IN THE USA）
When purchasing a wooden pastry board, keep in mind that it needs to be cared for with oil. However, it doesn’t react well to water, so you can’t soak it to clean it.
To maintain it, you should use a cloth dampened with a diluted neutral detergent to wipe off the grime. If you spill a bit of water, quickly use a card or similar to sweep away the water and grime before wiping it dry. This action is similar to the use of a window wiper.
You don’t have to frequently apply mineral oil, just do it every once in a while. I like to call it “the board I am raising.” (This is just a term I personally use)
For those who are worried about not being able to wash the board, I recommend getting a board that has been coated to prevent water absorption. Although they tend to be a bit more expensive, they are worth it. Personally, I enjoy taking care of the board, so I opted for the one mentioned above, but sometimes I wonder if I should have gone for the coated one…
Pastry mat：Yoshikawa Cooking mat
Various types of tools are available, so please prepare the ones that suit what you want to make. Enjoy the process of choosing your tools as it’s part of the fun in bread making. Remember, finding what works best for you and your bread-making goals is key. Happy baking!
In Conclusion
In this post, I’ve shared my thoughts on recommending a pastry board over a silicone mat, based on my experience with bread baking over the past six months.
In conclusion, if you’re serious about kneading dough by hand, I highly recommend getting a pastry board that fits your kitchen size.
On the other hand, if you’re mostly dealing with dough that doesn’t stick too much, like pizza dough, or with bread that requires long fermentation times without much kneading, you could do just fine with a silicone mat that can be used for shaping.
In my case, I use both depending on the situation. I use the board for initial kneading, and the silicone mat for shaping.
I hope these insights will be of help in your own bread-making endeavors and contribute to making it an enjoyable experience.
Thank you for reading until the end. Bye!
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