Below is a list of my baking tools organized in sections broken down by their use, and some that are “nice to have” but not essential. I’ve spent many years buying & trying tools one at a time to make things more efficient and baking easier. The list below is the accumulation of all those tools which I still use regularly and nothing else. I keep this page updated frequently with anything I’ve found to be better than the tool used before it.
If you’re new to baking, start with the tools listed below in Sourdough Starter Creation & Management and The Beginning Baker. These two sections will get you all the essentials you’ll need to create your wild yeast starter and the tools to get your first loaves in and out of the oven.
Once you get more serious head to the Nice to Haves section and explore these tools. They will elevate your baking to the next level and help you make your loaves more consistent and precise, or in some cases, just plain make things easier (thank you Thermapen instant read thermometer, probably my favorite baking tool I’ve purchased to date).
Sourdough Starter Creation & Management
These tools are essential when starting your first sourdough starter and keeping it alive an healthy. You want to use weights instead of volumes, a good stirrer and glass container, and of course, rye flour to get things going.
3/4 liter weck jars
I keep my starter in these all the time and use them for pickling & many other things
baker’s scale
the best scale at this price point. a scale is 100% necessary
oxo silicone spatula
this one-piece Oxo spatula is the best thing to maintain your starter, no nooks and crannies and easy to clean
dark rye flour
I love Bob’s quality and rye flour is the key to creating a lively starter
The Beginning Baker
A list of tools that are almost all necessary to bake at home. You could get away with not having a few of them (bench knife, ambient thermometer, white rice flour, bulk container and fine sea salt) but I’d highly recommend picking up all of these items if you’re really going to start baking. Trust me.
lodge combo cooker
cast iron, you cannot go wrong. this helps trap steam to get that high rise
bench knife
a must-have, used to cut, lift & move your dough
plastic scraper
easily remove sticky dough from containers, the bench, and off your fingers
ambient thermometer
monitoring ambient temperatures is incredibly important in baking
rice flour
rice flour has a higher burning point and thus is perfect for lining your proofing baskets
oxo oven mit
able to protect your hands from a 500ºF heated cast iron pan: worth it
wide mixing bowl
a wide bowl makes mixing without spilling that much easier
bulk container
Clear sides let you see fermentation first-hand and measurement strip helps determine dough rise height
digital thermometer
monitoring dough temperature is very important and should not be overlooked!
sea salt
any good quality fine sea salt will work, this is my current favorite
lame
a pack of razors and a coffee stirrer constructed as you see. used to score your bread before baking
Nice to Haves
These are tools that are by no means essential, but will help to raise your baking game to the next level and/or will make things much, much easier. Only pick these up if you’re very serious about baking or have been baking a while.
thermapen
an absolutely amazing device, reads temperatures accurately in 1 second
10″ banneton (boule)
naturally porous, used to hold proofing dough
banneton (batard)
on the small side, these will still let you load dough in the lodge combo cooker
dough proofer
I keep my starter, levain and dough at the perfect temperature at all times using this proofer
stainless spray bottle
I use this to spritz the dough a bit just after placing into the oven, helps create those wonderful crust blisters
flour sifter
some recipes here call for “high extraction flour”, this helps sift out some bran/germ to get this
baking steel
this steel replaces any need for baking stones and gets incredibly hot with no risk of cracking. also bakes pizza incredibly well
flour scoop
I keep these in my flour canisters, they make transferring and measuring super easy
bread knife
the most cost effective and best bread knife I have yet to use
proofing liners
cut these to fit your proofing baskets for easy dough removal
plastic bowl covers
several bowl-sized plastic covers, used at all times when dough is resting. eliminate waste as these are reusable
bread box
keep your bread fresh for up to a week in this box
large bulk tub
the perfect rectangular tub for 4kg+ batches of dough
Seeds, Salts & Grains
Various salts, seeds and grains I use when baking. Some grains (like oats) are only used as “toppers” or cooked into a porridge for incorporation during bulk fermentation.
sea salt
any fine sea salt will work here, but this is my current favorite
sesame seeds
used to coat and bake-in some of my seeded bread recipes
regular rolled oats
when making oat porridge bread, you want regular non-thick oats, these are my favorite
flax
extremely healthy, and tasty. used to coat and bake-in some of my seeded breads
Flour
Ideally you’d want locally milled flour for freshness and to support local farmers & millers, but sometimes that is not an option or perhaps you just want to try something new. Central Milling and Guisto’s both provide flour that I’ve found to be excellent, with perhaps a slight lead to Giusto’s at the moment.
central milling artisan baker’s craft plus
CM has some incredible flour, this is a workhorse flour for any bread
giusto’s artisan malted bread
I love this flour, it’s my current top choice
Pans
These are the best pans for baking sandwich loaves, rye bread and a variety of other breads.
USA Pan Pullman 9×4 inch
This pan is perfect for rye bread and smaller sandwich loaves. Incredibly strong, silicone lined and makes a beautiful loaf
Storage
The containers listed below are the best I’ve found to store flour, grains and just about anything else in the kitchen.
cambro storage 18 quart
These, with lid, are quite large and perfect for storing 25 lbs. of dry grain or flour
OXO good grips 4 quart
I store all my 5 lb. sacks of flour in these. They are airtight, light and very strong — simply the best
Are there any other tools you’ve found so useful you couldn’t bake without? Shoot me an email so I can try them out!