What Kind of Oil Do You Put on a Wooden Breadboard?

Why Oil?

• Bread and cutting boards are oiled to keep the wood from drying out and splitting. With proper care, wooden cutting boards will last for decades. Boards used only for slicing bread seldom require washing with detergents; just brush off the crumbs or wipe them with a damp paper towel. Multipurpose boards, including those used for kneading bread dough, should be washed with a detergent and hot water. Never put wooden boards in the dishwasher. You'll know your wooden cutting board needs re-oiling when the surface looks dry and washed-out.

Suitable Oils

• The University of Michigan Extension service recommends using mineral oil, an inert, petroleum-based product with an indefinite shelf life and no chance of spoilage. Always purchase food-grade mineral oil, which is sold in drug stores as a remedy for constipation; mineral oils sold in hardware stores may not be food-grade, so read the label carefully. Le Cordon Bleu cooking schools recommend boiled linseed or vegetable oil, while master craftsman Lee Chesson, who makes cutting boards out of domestic and exotic woods, recommends olive, walnut, almond or coconut oil. However, organic oils eventually become rancid or spoiled. The bottom line: If you use your board exclusively for cutting bread and only brush away the crumbs or wipe it with a damp paper towel, you'll rarely need to oil it, so use mineral oil to avoid any chance of spoilage. If your breadboard also is used for preparing other types of foods and is scrubbed frequently, it's OK to use oils such as vegetable or olive oils, since the board will need frequent oiling and organic oils won't have a chance to go rancid.

How to Apply

• Warm your selected oil for easier absorption; it should be comfortably warm to the touch, not hot. Use a soft cloth and apply the oil over the entire top and bottom surfaces and sides, using long strokes that follow the direction of the grain of the wood. Let the oil soak into the wood for a few minutes, then wipe the board with another soft cloth or paper towel to remove the excess oil. Allow mineral oil to oxidize or harden for four to six hours and organic oils for 24 hours before using the board. New, unseasoned wooden boards may require four or five applications before the raw wood has absorbed enough oil for good protection.

A Paste Alternative

• If you prefer to work with a paste rather than a liquid oil, you can make your own with little effort. Use need equal parts by volume of food-grade mineral oil and paraffin wax, which you can find in the canning supplies section of your supermarket or hardware store. Heat the oil on the stove over low heat, then stir in the paraffin. For quicker melting, shave the paraffin into flakes before adding it to the oil. Stir continuously until the wax melts, then pour the mixture into a small container. Let cool, then cover. This mixture works well on any type of wooden cutting board, whether solid or pieced.