Wet towel in the proofing drawer beat my fancy plastic cover every time

I was fighting dry crusts on my baguettes for months until a 62 year old baker in Portland told me to lay a damp tea towel over the trays instead of the $30 lid I bought, and now the steam keeps that perfect crackle and I'm wondering if I should just throw all my plastic covers in the bin, has anyone else made the switch?

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the_gavin24d ago

The damp towel trick is basically the old school way and it WORKS because it breathes. Plastic traps everything and then you get condensation dripping back down onto the dough, which ruins your crust before it even starts. With a towel, the moisture evaporates slow and even, so the surface stays tacky without getting wet spots. I switched a year ago and never looked back. Only thing is you gotta make sure the towel is damp but not soaked, wring it out real good or you'll end up with soggy bottoms. And wash those towels every single time, trust me, stale dough smell gets in there fast. Total game changer for the oven spring too, that crackle you mentioned is the real deal.

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