I’ve spent years vetting the following equipment. This list is has my favorite bread-making tools to help you make the best sourdough bread at home.
Also, check out my Amazon storefront, where I have all my favorite tools (and baking books!) on one page.
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Sourdough Starter Tools
These are the best tools to help create and maintain your sourdough starter.
Beginning Baker Tools
A list of a few tools to help you get started baking sourdough bread at home.
More Tools For Better Results
Use these baking tools to help you increase your baking consistency in your home kitchen.
Keeps my starter, levain, and dough at the perfect temperature.
(See my guide.)
The perfect rectangular tub (14″x15″x5″) for 4kg+ batches of dough when you make more dough.
Some recipes here call for “high extraction flour,” this helps sift out some bran/germ.
Flour and Grain
The list below are my most-used flours here at home, but look local first! There are many great farmers and millers scattered all over with incredible flour options.
A custom flour blend I created for any sourdough recipe (here’s mine)!
CM has some incredible flour; this is a workhorse flour for any bread.
Pans and Storage
These tools will help you bake pan loaves and are a collection of excellent storage options for flour and grain.
Grain Mills
Below is a list of my favorite grain mills used to mill fresh flour in my home kitchen regularly. They are all built extremely well and are capable of producing excellent flour.
Mixers and Larger Equipment
Other useful tools when baking sourdough bread at home.
An incredibly well-made oven for larger bakes. My current oven.
(See my guide.)
This sealed oven lets me bake 4 or more loaves at a time from home.
(See my guide.)
Didn't Find What You're Looking For?
Check out my deep dive into the best baking tools with a look at why I’ve picked each one (and how they’ve helped with my baking).
Or, check out my Amazon storefront, where I have all my favorite tools (and baking books!) on one page.
733 Comments
Hi, What size do you recommend getting in this pizza steel for pizzas and free form loaves? I was undecided taking into consideration the heaviness of the thicker ones. Do the thicker ones (1/2 inch etc.) offer any additional benefits compared to the 1/4 inch? I'm about to try my first free form loaves. I would also use the steel as a heat diffuser for my boule and discard recipes. I currently use a sheet pan for diffusing heat. BTW I noticed in two different places on your website you recommend different pizza steels. The other one is the Artisan on Amazon for $89.99. However, this one has a max. temp. of 375 degrees which didn't make sense to me for bread or pizza. Just trying to make the best decision for free form loaves, pizza and a heat diffuser all in one. Also, Does the baking shell eliminate the need for the lava rocks and/or wet towels on free form loaves?
https://www.amazon.com/NerdChef-Steel-Stone-High-Performance-Standard/dp/B00JXVNUHW?pd_rd_w=60Sxa&content-id=amzn1.sym.d4cdfb0a-d4b4-4f0b-8c51-55838af3328a&pf_rd_p=d4cdfb0a-d4b4-4f0b-8c51-55838af3328a&pf_rd_r=854XAWVAQJB8TAFR02R8&pd_rd_wg=FZWrj&pd_rd_r=7fd53589-54a1-4b2c-855b-d050ae18b6a3&pd_rd_i=B00JXVNUHW&linkCode=sl1&tag=theperfectloaf-20&linkId=e7bf59711157cc9c3b67021d4a203ef3&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&th=1
Hi Maurizio. Do you have any recommendations for oven gloves that dependably give good heat protection for 450 to 500 Deg F? I've tried multiple brands and none of them seem to provide the protection that they advertise.
Hi, Mauricio
I'm think of buying a baking steel because my two cast iron pots feel heavier every year. Yes I bake two at a time.
I’ve read hundreds of reviews including your links about baking steel. From what I’ve read, thicker ones retain heat better, but they can burn the bottom of the loaf. Then the thinner might be the better?
I still don’t know which thickness is right for baking sourdough bread (not pizza).
I would really appreciate any advice on this.
Mauricio, I am a sourdough bread consumer. Haven’t baked it yet. Here is a question about storing already baked bread. What do I put a loaf in to keep it as long as possible? I looked at your recommendations but didn’t see anything.
Thank you.
Hey Janice! here's my guide to storing bread to keep it fresh: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/the-best-way-to-store-bread/
Hi Maurizio, unfortunately the amazon link for the green flour scoops does not work anymore. Do these still exist or are they discontinued? – Thanks, Harrison
I've been searching for them for so long… I still havent been able to find them. I'll see if I can update this link ASAP!
I’m searching for a replacement…
I've found some replacements and added the link!
anyone use the 13 inch baskets instead of 14 inch for Maurizio's My Best Sourdough?
That'll work just fine, Josie!
Maurizio, I have been using Brod & Taylor products for years. Their proofer is great. I love my starter proofer as I can store my starter in a cool or warm environment. Even the oblong baking shell is great. I have a pair and can bake two loaves at once. However, I just got the round baking shells. Not so good. They are too large. I cannot use both at the same time in a standard 30" home oven. I do not want to go back to baking one loaf at a time. Not sure what caused Brod & Taylor to make them so much bigger than the oblong shells.
Maurizio, I was lucky to find the Brod and Taylor baking shells for a great price at a Williams Sonoma outlet. Now I need to by a baking steel. The one you recommend in your tool recommendations is slightly bigger and thicker than the Brod and Taylor Max Steel. What is your recommendation for use with the shells, the one on your list or the Brod and Taylor Max steel? My friend did a side by side comparison of the steel/shell vs. Challenger and the steel/shell won! Better result and way more manageable to use. Thank you!
Fantastic, Beth! Sorry for the delay. I like the thicker Baking Steel for pizza, but the thin B&T one works really well with the shell.
Hi there! I've been looking for a straight-sided loaf pan (like a Pullman pan) that is NOT coated in any nonstick stuff. I feel like I remember seeing some pans like this somewhere on your website, but I'm not finding them now. Do you have any recommendations for uncoated loaf pans?
By the way, I've made probably hundreds of loaves from your recipes at this point. Your recipes are just so reliable. Thank you!
What kind of wood is your baking bench made out of? Thank you!
Maple!
Hi there! Do you have another suggestion in place of the Challenger bread pan for oval loaves? The Challenger is somewhat pricey ($299). Thanks!
Challenger sells oven gloves too. I bought them when I bought my pan and they work perfectly. They fit my hands and I never feel any heat through them when dealing with the baking pan.
I have a new pair of gloves I bought recently I love. Check them out here on my baker's gift guide .
Maurizio~ Several months ago you wrote about Brod & Taylor's rectangular baking shell but I don't see it on your curated tool list. Is there a problem with it or has the list not been updated to include it? I'm very eager to try a cloche!
It's amazing. I'm a bit behind in updating these tools to include it!
what lava rocks do you use for creating the steam?
Culinary lava rocks or ceramic briquettes (a little cleaner).
I have just had a huge fuss with lava rocks. The first pack I bought was filled with dust and grit, many broken into gravel, returned. Found another brand. Despite rinsing them amply, prior to use, they left a huge mess to clean up in the pan. Grit everywhere in the sink. After baking with them, rinsed and rinsed again, still filthy. Waaaaaaaaay too much fuss!! Not a very good recommendation to be honest. I will try the ceramic ones. The ceramic ones you recommend are whole, whereas many other companies make split briquettes, for the same price. Much more surface area. Why recommend the whole ones?