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One of the first questions I had when I started baking was “what do I need to bake good bread?” The answer depends on how precise and consistent you want your loaf to be. Read: how deep you want to dive into nerding out on bread baking. These are my top 5 suggested tools for beginners.
I personally use this food scale. Things I like about it: it holds 8,000 grams, which is about 17 pounds, it runs on double A batteries or it can be plugged it, It has different units of measurement, including ounces and pounds. I have used this scale and only this scale since I bought it in 2019. Buy on Amazon if you’re interested.
Next is a good ol’ cast iron dutch oven. I think this is essential with baking bread. This little oven is going to provide consistent heat, and help create steam, which helps your bread rise during baking. This is the one I use, but one covered in enamel will work. This is 5 quart and that’s plenty big for larger loaves.
Because wild yeast is alive, temperature matters. Sourdough’s ideal temperature for fermenting is between 75º-78º F. I have used a thermometer since I have started and it’s been helpful in producing consistent loaves. You don’t need this if that doesn’t matter to you. This is not one I personally use, but I found it on amazon for you. Buy here.
This bench knife is helpful if you ever need to cut your dough in half or shape your dough. It is sharp and easy to clean! I have used this one for over 5 years and it has never rusted. Purchase here.
I know this one might seem super obvious, but I didn’t think of it when I first started. I put the bread on the parchment right before I lower it into the dutch oven. It makes it easier to get out of the hot pot and I think it helps it not make a mess. I buy these sheets.
Again, I want to remind anyone who might be feeling overwhelmed. You can make tasty, super edible bread without any of these things. In my opinion, these just make baking easier and produce a more consistent loaf. If you want to dive deeper into bread baking, I do have a longer material list here.
