Making good sourdough bread is a matter of chemistry, timing, and having the right tools for the job. Once you have your sourdough starter ready, your dough will need to rise twice with room to grow, which means having bowls large enough and a good quality tea towel to lay over the top. Flour sack towels are a baker's best friend because they are the perfect material to protect your dough as it rises. From tangy sourdough to braided brioche, proper rising is essential for your dough to bake into light, fluffy loaves.

Flour sack tea towels have the advantages of absorbency, softness, and a beautifully lint-free texture that ensures perfect dough even if it reaches the top of your bowl. Let's dive into the wonderful world of sourdough bread making and how flour sack towels can enhance both your baking quality and experience.

The Essential Role of Flour Sack Towels in Bread Making

A flour sack towel is a towel made with light yet durable cotton threads. As the name suggests, the original version of these elegant kitchen towels were made economically from cotton flour sacks. Today, flour is sold in paper bags, but the uniquely sturdy yet soft weave is still used for tea towels and more.

Why are flour sack tea towels so wonderful for bakers? You may be surprised to learn that bakers are among the biggest reasons why flour sack cloth is still used for kitchen towels. It's just too perfect for the dough making process to leave behind.

Dough Fermentation and Proofing

During the sourdough process, there are two rising stages, fermentation, and proofing, also known as the first rise and the second rise. During the fermentation stage, the dough will become fluffy and double in size. What you lay over the top of your proofing bowl or basket is essential to keep it from drying on top while trapping just the right amount of moisture.

A damp flour sack towel is perfect to aid in the fermentation process by keeping the dough covered and protected and keeping moisture levels consistent. The flour sack fabric also protects the dough during the second rise or proofing stage to create perfectly fluffy oven-ready dough balls.

Preventing Dough from Sticking

Many bakers have struggled to find the right towel that doesn't stick to the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. Flour sack towels have a soft yet smooth and lint-free texture that can be easily prepared to prevent dough from sticking. You can line your proofing baskets and cover the top with flour sack towels. The trick is just a light dusting of flour. Just like your dough folding station, just a little flour is all you need for easy release of the dough from any flour sack towel surface.

Maintaining Dough Temperature

Fermenting and proofing your dough work best at a warm and steady temperature. Flour sack towels can help maintain the temperature inside your proofing bowl or basket by trapping just the right amount of moisture and preventing unwanted airflow without completely sealing your dough into the container. Flour sack towels contribute to consistent results and evenly risen loaves.

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Choosing the Best Flour Sack Towels for Sourdough Bread Making

What are the best flour sack towels to make bread? Sourdough bread dough needs protection and a reasonably smooth towel for easy dusting and release. You also want towels of high quality, durable in the wash, and heavy enough to use as covers for fermentation and proofing. These qualities can help to guide your selection in the perfect tea towel for baking your sourdough and other favorite bread recipes.

Material and Weave

The best material for any cooking towel is 100% cotton. This provides the benefit of durable organic fibers that can absorb excess moisture. Of course, there are many ways to weave cotton. Look for tightly woven flour sack cloth in your tea towels. The tighter weave is both smoother and stronger, ensuring a lint-free and non-stick surface.

Size and Thickness

Larger tea towels are ideal for bread making, and most "standard" sized towels sold by baker supply brands are 33x38 inches. You can also select smaller or larger sizes depending on your batch and bowl sizes and personal baking style. When checking thickness, slightly heavier tea towels are ideal for covering and proofing. This makes it easier for them to lay flat over a wide-topped bowl and allows you to control airflow by damping or oiling the cloth.

Durability and Care

Flour sack towels for baking should be durable and washable. Don't use bleach or softeners. Instead, a cup of white vinegar is the ideal way to keep your towels soft and strong even if your house runs hard water (as so many do). Your towels will last longer if you air-dry them instead of tumble drying, but they can go through the wash with other laundry if you're in a hurry or forget not to throw them in the dryer.

When your flour sack towels are not in use, simply fold them neatly into any cabinet until you're ready to bake again.

How to Use Flour Sack Towels in Every Step of Bread Making

When it's time to bake a new loaf of sourdough (or any rising bread), get your flour sack towels ready a few hours beforehand. This will give you time to pre-wash them and make sure your sourdough starter is fluffy and ready to go.

Preparing the Towels

When using towels for cooking, it's always best to wash them one more time after taking them from the storage cabinet. This will remove any dust and other residue that you don't want in your bread. Pre-washing ensures a clean, lint-free towel for safe and pristine bread handling. Simply lay the clean towels out to dry and the light cotton fabric will be ready in no time.

Covering the Dough During Bulk Fermentation

Once you have squished together your starter and other ingredients into a rough dough ball, it's time for bulk fermentation. This is the big rise, where your dough should double in size, and it can take a few hours. naturally, you want to keep your dough moist and protected.

With your dough ball in the bottom of a large bowl, lay a dampened flour cloth tea towel over the top. The towel should fully cover the top of the bowl and lay firmly flat when you take your hands away. The dampness of the towel will help you perfectly control both air circulation through the fibers and maintain optimal humidity during the rising process.

Lining the Proofing Basket (Banneton)

During the second rise or proofing stage, you can use a proofing basket (sometimes called a banneton) to shape and support your dough as it rises. It's best to line your proofing basket with a lightly flour-coated tea towel to keep it from sticking and make it easy to remove when it comes time to bake.

A flour sack towel is the ideal texture for lining a proofing basket. Dust it lightly with flour by tapping a sieve for even distribution and to avoid excessive flour to ensure smooth dough release.

When proofing is done, you can lift the dough out of the basket using the towel and neatly roll it onto the pan.

After Baking: Cooling and Storing

Flour sack cloth is also optimal once your bread is baked. Wrap up your sourdough bread in a towel for optimal cooling and the perfect light yet crispy crust texture. That same towel can be used to store your bread at room temperature for a few days, preventing the crust from drying out too fast.

Benefits of Using Flour Sack Towels in Sourdough Bread Making

What are the benefits of using flour sack tea towels when making sourdough bread?

Achieving Professional Results at Home

Flour sack towels can improve your baking results so your loaves develop a beautiful professional baker's crust and crumb structure.

Eco-Friendly and Sustainable

Flour sack cloths are much more eco-friendly than disposable baking sheets and liners which are the commonly used alternative. They are also more cost-effective, as you don't have to keep stocking up every time you want to bake.

Versatility in the Kitchen

Flour sack towels can also be used for infinite other uses in the kitchen beyond bread making. They make lovely tea towels, hot pads for pan handles, cooling cloths for fresh baked cookies, drying cloths for doing the dishes, and so much more. They are perfect in a busy kitchen and always there when you are ready to bake again.

Where to Find the Best Flour Sack Towels

Top quality flour sack towels are typically sold in culinary stores alongside specialized cooking equipment.

What to Look For

• ✔ 100% cotton tightly woven 
• ✔ The right size for your mixing bowls and proofing baskets
• ✔ Detailed product descriptions that you trust
• ✔ Glowing customer reviews with lots of details and photos

You may be able to hunt them down in a home goods store where both linens and luxuries are sold. However, the best place to find high-quality flour sack towels that you can easily order online is here at FlourSackTowels.com. 

Begin Your Sourdough Journey with Flour Sack Towels

If you are ready to begin making good sourdough bread, start with the right supplies, including beautifully woven flour sack towels for fermentation, proofing, fresh loaf wrapping, and more. Flour sack towels are an indispensable resource for bakers because they are lint-free, perfectly control moisture and airflow during the rising stages, and are also oh-so-versatile around the kitchen.

Incorporate flour sack towels into your next baking routine. Find beautiful flour sack towels that you can order plain or custom-printed from floursacktowels.com.

WRITTEN BY:

Clara Rosewood

Clara Rosewood is a home enthusiast passionate about tea towels, inventive kitchen hacks, and elegant home decor. In her articles, she blends creativity with practicality to turn everyday spaces into inviting and functional sanctuaries.