How to Clean and Dry Wood Pulp Bannetons

Don't let your banneton go back on the shelf damp. Wood pulp is porous. That's exactly what gives you a beautiful, crackly crust, because it wicks moisture off the surface of your dough. But the same thing that makes it great at proofing makes it a problem if it isn't fully dry before you store it: mould.

Key takeaways

• No water, ever. Dry-clean only, with a stiff, non-abrasive brush.
• The countertop isn't enough, especially after a long proof. Residual oven heat is the reliable way to get your basket fully dry.
• Brushing off the flour matters just as much as drying: left-over flour blocks the wood pulp's pores, stopping the basket from breathing and wicking moisture the way it's meant to, and gives mould something to feed on.
• Mould spores are already everywhere, indoors and out — there's no eliminating them. They only turn into a problem once they find moisture and something to feed on, and that can happen within 24 to 48 hours.
• Long or cold proofs pull more moisture into the basket, so give it extra drying time.
• Once mould develops, you can't get rid of it. A moulded banneton has to be replaced, not cleaned.

Why drying matters more than you'd think

Because wood pulp is porous, it wicks moisture straight off your dough's surface, that's what gives a Bulka wood pulp banneton its signature crust. The flip side is that the basket itself ends up holding that moisture after every bake, especially after a long or cold proof. Leaving it on the counter may not fully dry it out. If it goes back into storage even slightly damp, you've created exactly the conditions mould needs.

How to dry it properly

Use the residual heat in your turned off oven. After your loaf comes out, slide the empty basket in at 210 to 250°F for 20 to 40 minutes, then brush out the flour with a stiff, non-abrasive brush. This dries it fully without the guesswork of air-drying, and it's gentler on the basket than any other method. Were you proofing cold or for longer than usual? Give it the full 40 minutes as a longer proof pulls more moisture in, so it needs more time to dry back out.

Don't skip brushing 

Wood pulp needs to breathe to do its job, and left-over flour sits on the surface like a barrier. It blocks the pores that let the basket wick moisture properly, and it holds moisture right where mould needs it, with the flour itself as a ready food source.

Stopping mould before it starts

Mould isn't something that shows up from nowhere. Spores are already almost everywhere, and there's no practical way to get rid of them — the EPA says it plainly: "There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment." The CDC puts it the same way: "there is always some mold around." What turns a harmless spore into an actual problem is moisture. Mould can grow on almost any organic material once it's damp, wood pulp and left-over flour both included, and growth can start within 24 to 48 hours of conditions turning favourable, a window confirmed by both the EPA (which recommends drying any damp material within that same 24-48 hour span to prevent mould). That's the whole reason the drying-and-brushing routine matters: you can't do anything about the spores themselves, but you can deny them moisture and food. Store your dried banneton somewhere dry and well ventilated, never stacked while still wet, and keep it out of consistently warm, humid spots, where mould grows fastest.

If mould does appear

Once mould has taken hold in a wood pulp banneton, it can't be cleaned out. The basket needs to be replaced. The good news: this is entirely preventable with the drying routine above — it's the one step worth never skipping.

Cleaning a Bulka basket

No water, no soaking — just dry, brush, and store it ventilated. Our Cleaning Brush for Bulka Baskets makes the brushing step fast: agave-fiber bristles in a mix of lengths reach into the grooves, on a solid beechwood handle, no water needed. See the Cleaning Brush and the full range of Bulka wood pulp bannetons.

Quick answers

Why does my banneton keep getting mouldy? It's going back into storage before it's fully dry. Wood pulp wicks moisture from your dough, which means the basket needs real drying time after every bake, not just a few minutes on the counter. Dry it in residual oven heat at 210 to 250°F (100–120°C) for 20 to 40 minutes, then store it somewhere ventilated.

Can I wash it in the sink? No. Dry-clean only, with a stiff brush. Water isn't part of the care routine for a wood pulp basket.

Why do I need to brush off the flour, not just dry the basket? Because wood pulp needs to breathe. Left-over flour blocks its pores, so the basket can't wick moisture the way it's designed to, and it traps moisture against the surface along with a food source mould can use. Drying clears the moisture; brushing clears the barrier — skip either one and you're undoing the other.

Why does mould seem to show up out of nowhere? It doesn't, really — the spores were already there. Mould spores are present almost everywhere, and no amount of cleaning removes them all. They only start growing once they land somewhere damp with something to feed on, and that can happen in as little as 24 to 48 hours, which is why even one skipped drying-and-brushing session can be enough to set it off.

What if mould does develop? There's no cleaning it out. Replace the banneton, and use the drying routine above on the new one from day one.

Choosing your first banneton, or adding another size to your collection? Our banneton size guide covers how to pick the right one for your loaf, and if you're deciding between wood pulp and a rattan basket, see Wood Pulp vs Rattan Bannetons for how their care routines actually differ.