I've been teaching sourdough classes for several years and have baked hundreds of loaves. These are the tools that have earned a permanent place in my kitchen. You don't need everything on this list to make great bread—I certainly didn't start with a...
Sections
6
Getting Started
Mixing & Fermenting
Baking
Flour & Fresh Milled Flour
Knives & Slicers
Watch me use these products!
Getting Started
If you're buying your first sourdough tools, start here. These four inexpensive items will make the biggest difference.
This is the scale that changed my sourdough bread results immediately. I went from naking flat “hockey pucks” to beautiful boules with this simple change. Weigh your ingredients and see how quickly your bread improves.
My Weigh KD-8000 Digital Food Scale Silver
The perfect jar for your sourdough starter.
2 Pack Wide Mouth Canning Jars for Sourdough
Trust me, you will wonder how you functioned with one of these once you start using one.
Stainless Steel Dough & Pastry Scraper, Black
I prefer using glass bowls just so I can be sure there's no reaction between the acidic starter and the metal. These are classic bowls and come with lids making them extra handy for covering between stretch and folds and for bulk ferment.
Pyrex: Mixing Bowls
Mixing & Fermenting
These are the tools I reach for every single time I bake.
A Danish Dough Whisk make hand mixing so much easier. Well worth the few dollars to be able to mix with ease.
Zulay 13-Inch Danish Dough Whisk - Wood & Steel
This skinny wooden spatula is great for mixing and feeding sourdough starter. They're also handy for mixing tuna and speading condiments on sandwich bread.
AOOSY 11" Acacia Wood Skinny Spurtle for Sourdough
Although you can use small bowls in a pinch, if you're going to bake sourdough boules regularly, a banneton is a good investment.
The Best Sourdough Bannetons (And What to Skip)
Stretch and folds and kneading can be difficult for some people. I love my Nutrimill Artiste and wish I would have bought it sooner. It not only helps with baking bread, but I use it for mixing cookie dough, Ermine frosting, and so much more.
Artiste
A flexible bowl scrapper will become a favorite yet simple tool.
3PCS Dough Scraper Set - Flexible Edge
Baking
Everything I use from proofing to baking and cooling.
A Dutch Oven will help you recreate a steam oven to get the most oven spring from your bread. Lodge is a classic, well known, reasonably priced option. It will also last a lifetime.
Lodge Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven 6 Qt Red
A fantastic option for a Dutch Oven at a great price.
Overmont 5.5QT Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
I love having a UFO lame to score my bread. It keeps the razor blade tucked away when not in use making it a handy and safe tool.
Artisan UFO Bread Lame with 5 Blades & Case
Be sure your parchment paper is rated for high tempertatures. Most grocery store parchement paper is for temps below 400F.
High Temperature Parchment Paper 500 Degrees
Sometimes you might want a regular sandwich style loaf. USA Pullman bread pans with lids are an excellent way to bake those loaves. The lids allow for the steam to build, just like a Dutch Oven.
USA Pan Pullman Loaf Pan w/ Cover 13x4
Rice flour is fantastic for dusting bannetons and the tops of sourdough loaves to prevent sticking without it being absorbed by the dough.
Bob's Red Mill, Gluten Free Rice Flour, 1.5 lb
Cooling your bread is a very important part of the entire braking process. These racks are my number one choice and exactly the ones I use. I like the full sheet pan size as it can accomodate a lot of cookies too!
Spring Chef 10x15 Stainless Steel Cooling Rack
It is possible to use a bread machine to make sourdough. I have a video included in the list showing you exactly how.
Oster Bread Maker with ExpressBake 2lb
Flour & Fresh Milled Flour
I bake with both commercial flour and fresh-milled grain. These are the products that have worked best for me.
Azure Standard provides high quality organice, unbleaced flour in a variety of sizes. It's my go-to.
Azure Market Organics All Purpose Flour Unbleached, Organic
Another fantastic option for high quality flour is Central Milling.
Central Milling Online Store - Premium Organic Flour & Grains
My choice in salt for all of my bread baking.
REDMOND Real Sea Salt - Natural Unrefined Fine
Knives & Slicers
You'll need a good knife to be able to enjoy your bread. Here are my 2 favorite tools for slicing and cutting.
By far, this bread slicer beats even the best bread knife for perfectly slicing your bread. It can handle those sourdough crusts with ease.
