Stainless steel baking board – cleaning and baking
Time: about 15 min
A stainless steel baking board gives you a smooth, dense surface for kneading and rolling. Clean it in the right order and the job takes just a few minutes.
Short answer
Bake on a clean, dry board and dust on only as much flour as the dough needs. Afterwards, scrape off dough scraps while they are dry, wipe with a warm, damp cloth and a little mild washing-up liquid if needed, and dry straight away with a tea towel. Avoid steel wool and abrasive cleaners, which scratch the surface.
What you need
- Stainless steel baking board
- Dough scraper
- Rolling pin
- Soft cloth or sponge
- Mild washing-up liquid
- Dry tea towel
How to do it
- Get the surface readyPlace the board on a flat, dry worktop where you can work with straight arms. Wipe it with a damp cloth and let it dry before you start.
- Flour sparinglyDust a little flour over the surface and the rolling pin. Add more as you go rather than a lot at the start, so the dough does not dry out.
- Knead and rollWork the dough directly on the steel. The smooth surface makes it easy to lift and turn the dough with a scraper when it starts to stick.
- Cut on a cutting boardDivide the dough with the scraper, but move to a cutting board when you use a knife. Blades can scratch the steel and go blunt themselves.
- Scrape dry firstWhen you have finished baking, scrape flour and dough scraps together while they are still dry. Dried-on dough softens if you lay a warm, damp cloth over it for a while.
- Wipe and dryWipe the surface with warm water and a little mild washing-up liquid on a soft cloth or sponge. Dry it at once with a clean tea towel to avoid water spots and limescale streaks.
Common mistakes
- Scrubbing with steel wool or abrasive cleaners, which leave scratches in the smooth surface.
- Letting water air-dry on the steel, which leaves spots and limescale streaks.
- Using a lot of flour from the start, so the dough turns dry and tough.
- Cutting with a knife directly on the baking board.
Why steel works as a baking surface
Stainless steel has a smooth, dense surface that does not absorb fat or liquid, so dough and flour can be scraped and wiped away. The steel feels cool to the touch, which many bakers appreciate when working with buttery doughs. What shows most on steel is water marks, and you avoid them by always drying it.
FAQ
Which size of baking board should I choose?
Kockums baking boards come in 60 × 47.5 cm and 80 × 60 cm. The smaller one suits a narrow worktop and everyday baking; the larger gives room for plaited loaves and big batches of dough.
How do I remove limescale marks from stainless steel?
Wipe with a cloth dampened in water with a splash of white vinegar, rinse with clean water and dry with a tea towel.
Will the baking board scratch?
Fine marks of use can appear over time, especially if you scrape hard with metal or cut with a knife. Use a plastic or wooden scraper and cut on a board.
Can the baking board go in the dishwasher?
There is no need. Wipe it where it stands with warm water and a little washing-up liquid and dry it straight away – quicker than fitting it into a machine.
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