Dough trough

A dough trough is a spacious vessel used for working dough. Its elongated form provides room to knead and gather the mixture. Trough is a broader name for a vessel, commonly wooden; the Norwegian term bakstetrau specifies its baking use. A trough without a known use history should therefore not automatically receive that more precise identification.

Dough troughs appear in Norwegian kitchen and farm collections. Høvåg Museum shows them alongside rolling pins. Viti mentions such vessels when describing the working and storage setting of Follestadstova. These examples document the type within household history, but do not date every similar-looking trough.

When assessing one, describe dimensions, base, sides and any joints. Examine cracks, repairs, working marks and surface alterations. Record whether the vessel is hollowed out or assembled from separate parts when this can be established. Preserve farm or family provenance, distinguishing documented baking use from later decorative use. A dark surface alone determines neither age, timber species nor geographical origin.

Sources: Det Norske Akademis ordbok: Trau; Agderkultur: Høvåg museum, omvisning 2005; Viti: Sunnmøre museum, Follestadstova.