I thought this was very interesting - think I'll look into this and maybe share with any of you who don't have one yet. I'm sure the piece I'll have to buy will be large enough for an army of bakers. edited to add: I should have mentioned the below is quoted from a newsletter I recieved -
"I bought a canvas drop cloth at the local Orange Box, sliced out a length, threw it in the wash (to get any sizing and extra fluff off) dried and sewed up the raw edges (after it had shrunk). No bleach required, just normal washing.
Works wonders and I still have a huge drop cloth left for painting.
To prep it for couche work, I have a mix of 50% AP flour and 50% rice flour that I rub into the cloth before each use. Some people use straight up rice flour, others just the AP. The rice flour is like couche Teflon, though. I bought about a pound of the stuff but still have a lot so if you can get it from a bulk store, just get a cup or two, will be plenty for a long time.
So rub a very healthy amount of the flour mix into the fibers and you're set to go. I have a couple of 2" x 2" pine sticks I've cut to fit inside a baking pan which are used to support the outside loaves.
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This is right on target. Before I got a piece of real linen couche I used a painter’s drop cloth I purchased at Home Depot. Wash once to remove sizing and any chemicals - but only once! Then rub in flour and rice flour before use. Remember to clean it occasionally with a brush to get excess flour off. It's that simple."
"I bought a canvas drop cloth at the local Orange Box, sliced out a length, threw it in the wash (to get any sizing and extra fluff off) dried and sewed up the raw edges (after it had shrunk). No bleach required, just normal washing.
Works wonders and I still have a huge drop cloth left for painting.
To prep it for couche work, I have a mix of 50% AP flour and 50% rice flour that I rub into the cloth before each use. Some people use straight up rice flour, others just the AP. The rice flour is like couche Teflon, though. I bought about a pound of the stuff but still have a lot so if you can get it from a bulk store, just get a cup or two, will be plenty for a long time.
So rub a very healthy amount of the flour mix into the fibers and you're set to go. I have a couple of 2" x 2" pine sticks I've cut to fit inside a baking pan which are used to support the outside loaves.
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This is right on target. Before I got a piece of real linen couche I used a painter’s drop cloth I purchased at Home Depot. Wash once to remove sizing and any chemicals - but only once! Then rub in flour and rice flour before use. Remember to clean it occasionally with a brush to get excess flour off. It's that simple."
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
www.achefsjourney.com