Every year, I sit down to write this bread baker’s gift guide (this is the fourth!), and it’s become a moment to reflect on all the baking I’ve done this past year and what I’ve learned (if you’re doing it right, there’s never an end to this). Looking back, I’m always surprised—both by the variety of things I’ve managed to make and by the tools that made a real difference: the ones that didn’t just sit in a drawer but actually changed how I bake. Over the years, I’ve found that the right tools can make baking at home not just easier, but genuinely more effective.
But! I do think we bakers are cut from the same cloth (more on cloths in a moment…), aren’t we? Most of us don’t want superfluous equipment cluttering our kitchens—only the things that truly earn their place.
That’s exactly what this list is: tools that have earned their keep in my kitchen, and ones I think will do the same in yours, too.
Read on!
A Powerful (and Beautiful) Dough Mixer
Without a doubt, the biggest improvement here in my kitchen over the last year is this little (but mighty) mixer. I’ve been using it nonstop with everything from soft and luxurious challah to stiff pizza dough. It’s incredibly well-designed, with just enough controls to do what you need and nothing you don’t. It excels at smaller batch sizes (even down to 1 kg of dough), and the removable bowl makes cleanup in the sink easy.
If you’d like to see this mixer in action, check out my full guide to using the Halo Spiral Dough Mixer.
A Sharp Choice
Zassenhaus sent me this slicer, and after using it, I wondered why I waited so long. I can slice an entire crusty sourdough loaf in mere minutes with almost zero effort.
This bread slicer is very well built and thoughtful, with suction cup feet that hold it securely to the counter, and a spacing adjustment to change the thickness of each slice. I like this chrome-plated version with a slice holder, but they have other options that’ll slice equally well (and are more budget-friendly).
Some people love chrome on bikes and cars, but me? Apparently, a bread slicer.
A Great Focaccia (and Pizza!) Pan
I’ve been making a lot of focaccia and pizza here, and while I do love round pans for focaccia, this rectangular pan is super versatile. I use it for Detroit, Sicilian, and Grandma-style pizzas, as well as for any manner of focaccia, from Pugliese to your standard everyday variety.
The pan is nonstick, but the coating is part of the material, so you can’t chip or scratch it off, and it gives whatever you bake an incredible crust. If you’re looking for The One Pan To Rule Them All, this is it.
Teiger Dough Cleaning Cloth
I have long struggled with methods for cleaning dough in the mixer, on the counter, or stuck to baking tools. The Teiger Dough Cleaning Cloth is something I wish I’d had years ago. If you have a dough mixer, this cloth will be your new best friend.
Cut From A Superior Cloth
I’m a big fan of using couche (baker’s linen) for so many things: baguettes, yes, but also large batard-like shapes, couronne, filoncini, and really, anything you want! I see them as a way to proof a lot of dough in a small amount of space, plus, they’re really easy to keep clean (you just brush them out).
Recently, I picked up a larger couche from Central Milling, and I never realized just how much better they could be. The material is thicker, more nonstick, and just woven to a higher quality. Do note the dimensions—24×59-inches—they are quite large, but having that extra space is so very helpful.
The Best Cover
This is a return from last year because… well, I use them so much it’s downright silly, I get so much joy from a piece of plastic. Turn your high-quality half sheet pans (these are my favorite, by the way) into a large proofing container with these snap-on lids!
Really Great Baskets
I have an unhealthy collection of bread proofing baskets. From wicker to cane to wood pulp to plastic—I’ve tried them all. And yet, I seem to gravitate and return to well-made wicker baskets with a canvas liner.
The wicker allows air to gently circulate around the dough as it’s proofing (usually overnight in the fridge), while the canvas also gently wicks away moisture from the outside of the loaf, giving the final bread a very certain type of crust I’ve become known for.
These 12.5-inch proofing baskets from TMB Baking are perfect for 900 grams of dough, which is typically what I make here at The Perfect Loaf (my go-to size for My Best Sourdough Bread). You can line them with a cloth liner like I’ve done here, though usually, I don’t use the liner if the dough doesn’t have dried fruit.
My Cookbook (Three Years Later)
My cookbook has been on some deep discounts as of late; right now, it’s a whopping 44% off!
This would be a great gift to the soon-to-be-yet-doesn’t-know-it-yet bread baker in your life ❤️
I Hope You Like Cookbooks As Much As I Do
I’m a cookbook junkie. I have so many, and for me, they are one of the highest forms of art (and not because I wrote one!).
Imagine, if you will, that you can distill one person’s mastery of their craft into a handbook to follow on your own journey to attaining that mastery. Not only do you get their entire brain in a book, but you get to read about the why and how they got to where they are, what motivates them, what they discovered works and what doesn’t along the way, and finally, the best of the best of their recipes. Wouldn’t that be something?
I’m a sucker for anything flour and butter, and Rebecca Firkser’s GALETTE! delivers exactly what you need to make flaky, tender, and deeply flavorful galette and pie crusts at home. I especially love a good galette—where most people might politely decline a slice of pie (“Oh, thank you, but I couldn’t possibly”), a galette feels casual and far more approachable.
If you want a preview of what her book has in spades, check out our recent sourdough discard cocoa galette crust, then pick up a copy; you’ll love her book.
As you well know, I’m a for-gluten baker through and through, but this new book by Aran Goyoaga is above and beyond the best text on gluten-free baking out there. She goes into every facet of baking without wheat flour, from sourcing alternative grains to a staggering collection of recipes for free-form loaves, pastry, and more. If you’re a gluten-free baker, her book is a no-brainer; if you’ve been curious about giving gluten-free baking a try, I’d say this is the book to guide you!
The Best Thermometer
I’m going on 8 or 9 years now of using a Thermapen in my kitchen. You won’t find me without this in my shirt, apron, or back pocket when I’m baking. I’m constantly testing the temperature of the water, the dough, the air in the kitchen—everything! Temperature is just so important in baking.
The Thermapen is my go-to choice because it’s rugged and reads temperature in 1 second!
The Best Bench Knife (Scraper)
I’ve used this bench scraper for years, and it has yet to show a scuff, bend, or mark. Made from steel and the ergonomics are perfect.
The only hard choice is which size you should get, the 6″ or the 8″. Well, I have both! I use the smaller scraper for rolls, buns, and other small items, and the larger one for big loaves.
Gift A Baker’s Corner Membership
If you know someone who is just starting out on their baking journey or someone who is looking for the best baking community to hang out in, send them a year-long gift membership to The Baker’s Corner here at The Perfect Loaf.
Plus, they’ll instantly get my recipe spreadsheet archive, baking tool discounts, and a whole lot more.
Or, invest in your baking and join the membership yourself!
What’s Next?
If you’re all the way to the end and haven’t spotted what you’re looking for, check out my roundup of the best baking tools for bakers. Anything there would be an incredible gift to any baker!
Thank you to every single reader out there, whether you’re new to The Perfect Loaf or if you’ve been along for the past 12 (!!) years.
Happy holidays, and happy baking 🙂
