The Best Sourdough Tools and Resources

The Best Sourdough Baking Tools and Resources

I am slowly becoming more and more minimalist in the kitchen. Well really, in all areas of life but we’ll just focus on the kitchen for this post.

Am I totally minimalistic?

Definitely not. But I think long and hard about bringing new gadgets and tools into my home and kitchen.

Why do I think so much before bringing new stuff to my home?

1. Because I only have so much storage space.
2. I don’t want to have a bunch of things that I use for only one specific job and use them only once a year.
3. I don’t like to spend money unless I know I will love the item and USE it, frequently.
4. As a culture we tend to over consume. I’m trying to move away from the consumerist mentality and live more like the depression era mentality.
5. I don’t want the people I teach to have to spend a ton of time, money and resources on buying new stuff.

The average kitchen probably has most of what is needed to bake successful bread, pastries and whatever else you can dream up.

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But I get asked frequently about what I specifically use and love. So I am compiling a list for those that would like to know and for those who may be in the market to buy new gear.

Is this stuff essential to baking great bread?

No, definitely not.

When I first started baking I didn’t have proofing baskets so I used bowls and loaf pans lined with flour sack towels. I also didn’t have a lame, I used a knife then switched to literal razor blades from the hardware section.

So don’t let this list stop you from baking, just refer to it for when you are ready to expand your line of equipment.

I use and love this stuff on a regular basis. All of these tools get used multiple times throughout the week. I seek high quality items that will last me a long time and so far none of these has failed me.

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl

I love this stainless steel bowl because it is lighter weight than my glass one and has taller sides. With sourdough it is important to have non-reactive metal so stainless is a must, aluminum will just not cut it. The tall sides are perfect for messy bakers like myself and the light weight is appreciated when it’s full of a large batch of dough. These bowls don’t come with lids but a large dinner plate works just fine for me.

Glass Mixing Bowl With Lid

This bowl is my other favorite bowl however it is heavier and the sides aren’t as tall. But the sides being a little lower means that it is easier to reach the bottom (especially if you have short arms like me) and it’s easier to stretch and fold in. This one does come with a handy lid which is awesome.

Flour Sack Towels

These are hands down the most used item in my kitchen. We don’t buy paper towels so these are our “paper towels”. I also use them for lining proofing containers, covering dough, wiping my hands on so I don’t end up with flour handprints on my butt…you get the idea.

Proofing Baskets a.k.a Bannetons or Brotforms

Like I said earlier, I went a long time without these and they aren’t absolutely necessary. However now that I have them, I love them. They keep my loaves more uniform, give them those cool lines, help them to proof more evenly, and they give just the right amount of airflow to the dough to maintain moisture levels.

Lame

A lame is just a really sharp razor blade on an ergonomically designed handle. I used a knife when I started but found that all my knives were simply too dull and just more difficult to use. Then I switched to a box cutter razor blade which was giving me much more satisfactory cuts but again was difficult to use since there wasn’t much to hold on to. Enter the lame. The lame gives amazing, easy cuts while having an easy to hold onto handle. They are really a rather small investment and the blades last a really long time.

Dutch Oven

The covered dutch oven was the first method of baking that I really got my first good loaves from. They are easy to use (aside from having to be careful not to burn yourself) and most homes have one. Plus it can be used for all manner of cooking. They do a good job of keeping steam in for you and bake really well.

Ready to make some bread?? This is my favorite basic white bread! Or if you’re looking for a dessert, try out these easy Sourdough Cherry Pie Bars!

Combo Cooker

The combo cooker is easier for some people to use and while I use mine for sure, I still prefer the dutch oven. But if the tall sides of the dutch oven scare you, the combo cooker may be your friend. The bottom is akin to a skillet with low sides while the top is more like the bottom of a dutch oven- like a large pot. The low sides are easier to get the bread into.

La Cloche

The La Cloche is slightly different than the combo cooker as it is made from clay instead of cast iron and has a bell shaped dome for the top but it is similar in the fact that it has low sides on the bottom. The La Cloche is probably my favorite of the three covered cookers.

Pizza Stone

The pizza stone is awesome if you like pizza or want to try your hand at hearth baking. Mine lives in my oven and makes the best pizza every Friday night.

Dough Scraper

The dough scraper will be your best friend when it comes to handling sticky dough. It makes life so much easier when shaping and moving dough. Plus it helps scrape up stuck on stuff on the counters!

KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus Mixer

I’m not going to say the Kitchenaid is the best for breads. To be totally honest I think the KitchenAid is more of a pastry mixer than a bread mixer. But it is what I have and I have made many successful loaves (and pastries and cookies) using it. You can definitely try kneading enriched dough by hand but it will require a lot of work and time, both of which I’m thankful to let my KitchenAid take care of for me.

The following are resources that I find to be very helpful and inspiring:

The Perfect Loaf

Maurizio is an incredibly talented baker who’s recipes never disappoint. His pizza dough recipe is the one I live by! Take his advice and you won’t go astray!

Sourdough by Sarah Owens

This book is absolutely beautiful and inspiring. It has recipes that are broken down by the season to incorporate fresh in season produce. Plus she uses many heirloom and whole grains. There are all manners of sourdough in this book from cookies to cakes to bread to tortillas and it’s all amazing.

Pure Sourdough Baking

This is a Facebook group of sourdough enthusiasts. The community is great at helping, cheering and encouraging other enthusiasts. It’s a lot of fun!

My general philosophy for most things I partake in, in my kitchen, is that with a little creativity, resilience and willingness to step outside of the box anything you can dream up can happen. So while these tools and resources are helpful, they are not absolutes. These are just the ones I use regularly and love, you may find that you prefer other ones. But at least these give you a reference point 🙂

Do you have any of these? What is your favorite kitchen tool? Leave a comment, maybe we need a new tool!