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.
Jump to a section:
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.
734 Comments
I love the beeswrap bread wrap. breathes more than a plastic bag abs not as much as a paper bag.for me it’s the perfect balance.
my kitchen was woefully small until I had the bread idea to flank two sides of my kitchen with these costco stainless workbenches when they were on sale. have this 72″ one, and a similar 56″ one. the mixer fits perfectly on top. this doubled my countertop and storage space without having to commit to or suffer through a remodel.
https://www.costco.com/TRINITY-72“-Stainless-Steel-Rolling-Workbench.product.100235688.html
That’s a great idea. I was looking at tables on Webstaurant similar to this. Out of curiosity, do you find it difficult to move the mixer without the bowl in it? Right now I move my Haussler in and out from under one of my cabinets every time I want to use it. I store it without the bowl in place and it’s heavy, but not unmanageable. My original thought with the Famag was to do the same but it’s a bit taller, deeper, and wider.
I really loved your site, congratulations!
Can you tell me about you the table that you use to make your loaf? It looks so amazing!!
Thanks Maurizio! Good to know that like most bread baking processes it is a lot of art applied to underlying science! What I have been doing lately is heating the water in a tea pot on my gas range and heating it on a simmer, so very slowly, and using my Thermapen MK4 to monitor the temp. It takes longer than I would prefer but in this way I don’t generally go over the desired temperature.
Thanks for the info on the CM Type 85 Flour. I am really enjoying baking with their flour. Being Vegan and Organic, I find CM has the best selection. I am going to try even more exotic flours like Einkorn, Khorasan, etc. soon.
FYI, I tried baking with Spent Grains from my local brewery, 12Degree Brewing in Louisville, CO (highly recommended if you are ever in the Boulder, CO area and like Belgian beer). I dehydrated the grains at 200F in my oven and then “milled” it a bit to break down the larger husks, etc. using my Food Processor. I thought I had a lot of spent grains but ended up with only 98g.
What I did was use the Multigrain Spelt Sourdough recipe but added the Spent Grains in at the second stretch and fold. I ended up only using 41g as I don’t see how I could have possibly added more without overwhelming the other flour, etc. The end result was excellent tasting; great crust. But to mix in the Spent Grains I had to work the second stretch and fold a lot harder than recommended, and than I would have liked. I think this resulted in a more dense and “moist” crumb without much in the way of air pockets. No problem for me as it tasted great, but not how most people indicate the end result should be. I was wondering if you could give some guidance as to why sourdough bread is supposed to have a very open crumb? Is it taste or just for how it looks? Just not sure if I should worry about the crumb not being open and airy and try to adjust things and experiment until I get it “right” or if I should focus more on taste and not worry about it. Also, do you think it might work better in terms of not compromising the stretch and folds during Bulk Fermentation to mix in the dried spent grains during the Mix?
Thanks again for your wonderful site, and your excellent information. Next bake I am going to try the Seeded Sourdough and instead of modifying your recipe, just baking as your recipe indicates. My goal is to learn enough about what different types of flours, grains, etc. do so I can start creating my own recipes based on the science behind bread baking. Anyway, thanks again.
I’d say 3lb is too large for the 3.2 qt Lodge combo cooker I typically use. That probably has a 900g – 1kg max capacity. If you want to bake that large you might want to look for a larger Dutch oven or you can use an inverted, deep, roasting pan on top of a baking stone. When I bake large loaves I usually use my method for steaming a home oven!
Hi Maurizio! I have been baking for a few months now with mostly good results using your site as my primary guide. I just made the Multigrain Spelt recipe and it was the best yet. The first time I seemed to get a nice open crumb. I live near Boulder, CO, and used quite a bit less water than you though. Anyway, my question is regarding the temp of the water added during mixing. I have the Thermopen but when I heat the water it seems difficult if not impossible to get it close to 90 degrees. It almost immediately is over 100 and takes forever to lower. I try adding cold water, but it is still a long and imprecise process. Any secrets or suggestions you might have to how to head water to a good temp for adding to the dough would be appreciated.
Another question is about the Central Milling Type 85 Flour (not malted). Can this be mixed in with bread flour for the total percentage of bread flour for most recipes? Or, how would you use this non-malted Type 85 flour?
Last question: What is your opinion of using a dry attachment for a Vitamix for milling flour?
Thanks for everything and keep up the good work. Enjoy! Michael
Right on Michael, that’s great to hear! When I bake I typically warm the water in the microwave. If I’m doing a similar recipe I kind of know a ballpark for how long to warm the water in the microwave (if it’s the same quantity of water in the same vessel). From there, I’ll mix in cooler water if I go too far, or pop it in for a few more seconds if not enough. It’s not precise at all, it’s a fluid (sorry, had too) process of warming, cooling, etc.
Central Milling Type 85 isn’t traditional “bread flour” in the sense you might know it from the supermarket. Bread flour usually has quite high protein levels (sometimes around 13%) making a strong flour. Additionally, it’s usually very low extraction meaning most of the bran/germ has been sifted out and it’s a true white flour. CM Type 85 has more bran/germ in the flour than bread flour.
I haven’t had a chance to try any Vitamix attachments so I can’t say! Sorry about that.
I hope this all helps — happy baking!
Hello Maurizio, I’m curious how large a loaf the combo cooker can reasonably bake. I have been using my large Lodge enamel coated dutch oven, which turns out amazing rustic loaves, but I was thinking of giving the combo cooker a try. Will it handle a 3 lb loaf or is that just too big?
Hey, Robert! Answers below:
1. The interior of the basket should be around 9″ long, exactly the dimension of the Lodge. It’s a tight fit for sure, but I’ve done it in the past without problems. Other alternatives would be to steam your home oven and bake without a combo cooker or you could scale down the dough weight, perhaps to 700g, which would ensure a proper fit.
2. You don’t need a liner but I always use one, just to keep things a little more clean.
3. Yes, the bag should be airtight to help prevent a crust from forming on the dough if the humidity in your fridge is too low (which is likely the case!).
4. I don’t usually bake with convection because I don’t want the fan moving the air in the oven around, potentially drying out the crust on the dough as it forms. If you’re baking in a combo cooker, it should be ok to use the fan but you might have to adjust your bake times to be shorter than those I have listed.
5. Yes, the paper can be left for the entirety of the bake.
Hope that helps — have fun!
Hey, Sharon — thanks for getting back to me with that information! I emailed Bakery Bits and am waiting for a shipping quote to the USA. I’ll reply to your other question about the friction factor on my other post!
I recently got a famag 10kg mixer with the tilt head and removable bowl. can’t imagine making these doughs without the removable bowl. looked long and hard at the sunmix 15,but the tilt head and removable bowl won me over. pleasant hill has started selling tbe famag in a 110v but mine is a 230v, a simple step up transformer does the trick to work I the US. don’t know if you have the clout to get demo units, but a side by side of sunmix vs famag would be awesome. famag was awesome to deal with for my mixer
I too have been debating between the Sunmix and Famag. A removable bowl is such a nice thing to have I’m sure the next mixer I pick up will have one — it just makes cleaning and moving dough a breeze (my Haussler Alpha mixer has a removable bowl). In the end I’ve also settled on the Famag but haven’t yet purchased one. My hesitation is space: I’m not quite sure how to fit it in my kitchen without purchasing a dedicated, rolling cart! If you don’t mind me asking, how do you store the mixer and move it for use?
Instead of comparing the Sunmix and Famag I’d likely just do a comprehensive writeup on the Famag — I’m sure that’s the mixer I’ve always wanted here in my home kitchen.
Hello! The three I have listed above are all really great mills. I’d say if this is your first mill, have a look at the Mockmill 100 and see if that is what you’re looking for. It mills very fine, has a great warranty, and is at a nice price. Happy baking!
Maurizio,
I in the process of choosing a mill. It sure would be helpful to know what you like most about the three you recommend. There is a huge difference in price. I’m thinking I would prefer an electric mill. Thanks for additional guidance!
Hello Maurizio,
Which Mill do you recommend to have for first time?
Hi Maurizio,
I am new to baking sourdough breads, but have been reading up a lot to help me wisely choose my gear. Could you please help me with a few question I have?
1. You indicate that a loaf proofed in the batard banneton (linked above) will fit into the Lodge combo cooker. The basket is 10 inches long (as is the boule banneton you recommend above). I measured the inside of the Lodge and it is closer to 9 inches. Wouldn’t both these baskets be too large?
2. When baking breads with seeds on the outside, do I need a liner for the basket, or can I go without one?
3. When one retards the dough in a plastic bag in the fridge, should the bag be airtight? That is, if I use a large ziplock bag, should I zip it up?
4. My oven supports baking with a fan (convection) and without. What would you recommend I use when following your recipes?
5. When using parchment paper to lower a loaf into the lodge, can the paper be left in for the duration of the bake, or should it be removed sometime during?
Thank you,
Robert
Hey, Sharon! I’ve been looking at the Sunmix mixers for a while now, they really look great. I have a Haussler Alpha which I really like, I just wish it had a breaker bar. Do you live in the USA? If so, were you able to get a 110v version of that mixer? I’d love to see if I could get one also.
Yes, the mechanical mixing action of a mixer will heat the dough to some degree, this is known as the “friction factor” when calculating desired dough temperature. You can offset this by mixing with cooler water, even iced if necessary. For enriched doughs like babka I’d make sure everything else is as cool as possible: eggs, milk, and any water, of course. If you’re doing small batches you could even consider placing your flour in the fridge to cool overnight before you use it in the morning, but I’d first chill the liquids. Aside from that, there’s not much more you can do — I don’t think the Sunmix allows you to remove the mixing bowl like my Haussler, otherwise I’d say you could also place that in the fridge to cool it down.
In the super hot temps of summer you might have to simply just mix less in the mixer in combination with the suggestions above. After that, further strengthening will have to come from stretch and folds during bulk.
I hope that helps!
Hi Maurizio, Thanks for getting back to me. I live in Canada and ordered from Bakery Bits in Somerset, UK. But they order straight from the manufacturer who shipped it to me. They ship worldwide. I also ordered the stainless steel mixer stand from Bakery Bits, which they stock. I received the stand within a week. My model says 230/50 volt but apparently that is the same for the US. If not they will send you the appropriate model. I am loving the difference the mixer makes. I’d been mixing 8 loaves by hand and by the time I was done the dough was seriously stressed. Over worked. But today my dough had several beautiful bubbles and is billowy and beautiful. In the fridge until tonight. The machine is very easy to clean. Does your article mention how many degrees I need to add when calculating with the friction factor. I don’t think I saw that. I’m sorry.
Hi Maurizio, I just purchased a Sunmix 15kg Spiral Dough Mixer from Italy that is made specifically for pizza dough and sourdoughs. I’m making bread in bulk now so I’m so very excited to see how well it works. Vanessa Kimbell from the Sourdough School in northern England uses it. My first try I made fabulous Tartine white bread. I’m wondering about liquid temperatures because of friction caused by the machine which increases the heat of the dough. You have written on it and your guidelines for hand mixing have been helpful. Do you have any instructions on making Babka in the spiral dough mixer as far as liquid temperature goes and how long to mix before and after autolyse? Its a similar dough to the one we use for cinnamon buns, with milk, butter and eggs.
Lila — paper bags work super well. They let just enough moisture out to keep the bread soft but not so much that it dries out to a rock. If you’re in a very dry climate you might need to use something that seals completely, like a plastic bag, but generally these don’t work so well. I’d give paper a try and then plastic if it doesn’t keep well enough.
It’s hard to beat a bread box, they just work so dang well! Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Maurizio,
I don’t really have space in my kitchen for a bread box. What do you recommend as the best way for me to keep by bread fresh for as long as possible?
Thanks!
Thanks for the information. I think I’ll get the RT600C in the future.
Hi, Maurizio.
Both of the digital thermometer are linked to thermapen. Are you no longer recommended the CDN one? I’m considering to get a backup thermometer incase mine(Thermoworks RT301WA) died in the future and currently I waver between getting CDN or get another Thermoworks (the RT600C seems great) product.
Yeah, I personally find ThermoWorks’ products to be the best I’ve tried (my Thermapen will be buried with me!). The RT600C is another great thermometer at a lower price point. I’ll change my link up there to that one — thanks for pointing this out!
Dima, the links are to US websites, eg. amazon.com. If you’re outside of the US, the website shunts you over to a local country equivalent site, eg. amazon.co.uk. In this instance, I think amazon.co.uk doesn’t recognise the product, which is why the link doesn’t seem to work for you.
I think this may be an equivalent product: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baking-Steel-Original-Ultra-Conductive/dp/B01JZS24BK – which is currently unavailable.
THX
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&url=search-alias%3Doutdoor&field-keywords=The+BIG+Baking+Steel+%2814%22×16%22×1%2F2%22%29&linkCode=g13&linkId=25a89e3e7cd26f77fda105d5b283c4f1&imprToken=Pq4f935nZ5RkzOGrZPeBZQ&tag=theperfectloa-21
Link to baking still wrong
Dima — which link are you having trouble accessing?
This https://prnt.sc/js8042
I don’t usually keep that flour in the fridge since I’ll be using it relatively soon (within a few weeks). No, you don’t have to sift the flour you use to feed your starter, I never do. I like to give my starter the added nutrients found in the whole, milled berry. The flour you used from Jovial might be whole grain or it might be their sifted, all-purpose variety. If you’re looking to emulate their AP flour then yes, you’d have to sift the fresh milled flour. Hope that helps!
You bet. Here’s my post on steaming and baking in my home oven. Additionally, each bake I post here will have a section at the end discussing the bake time and temp — some bread recipes require a little tweaking to the general time and temp.
Happy baking!
Can you point me to a post you made with how long your bake on the baking steel? Attempting the steam at home method this weekend and I’m a little confuse how long or how hot you have your steel after the 1 hour heating up. I know each oven is different but just as a guide would really help.
The flour that you use to feed your starter, if you mill it, do you have to keep it in the fridge? Also, I’m currently feeding my starter einkorn flour that I mill on my Mockmill 100. I mill on the finest setting but would I have to sieve to make the flour finer to feed my starter? I ask this because I was using a brand einkorn flour from Jovial that seem very fine and my loafs have been turning out really good.Does it matter if its whole grain einkorn flour or all purpose einkorn flour. Thanks in advance.
Hi Maurizio,
I don’t think my wife would like you right now because a baking steel is showing up in a few days. 🙂 I did use your link as well. Question. I read your article on baking with steam at home. Do you have a link for the rectangular pan you use? Also, my wife fell in love with Ancient grains, especially Einkorn, do you have any resources with recipes for this grain. Finally, I’ve never use a baking steel before, any tips you can offer would really help. (Do you still put your dough on the baking steel when its a bit wet?
Hah! Thanks for using that link to get the Steel, much appreciated. I use a rectangular pan that’s pretty old, I’ve had it for a long, long time. Really anything that will fit in your oven works well. Some even prefer to use a disposable tin foil style one (the ones used for roasting) so they can replace it every so often.
I do still bake on my Baking Steel. I don’t really have any more tips than what I’ve written in my post on steaming a home oven — it’s all in there!
Hope that helps and happy baking, Eugene.
Hey Maurizio, I was wondering where you got your bowls from? The ones that you use for bulking. I love the colors that you have. Thank you.
Hey, Erin! Most of the bowls I use for bulk posted here are from Heath Ceramics in San Francisco. Awesome stuff!
HI Maurizio,
This is a great article thank you. I still don’t understand how you can bake those huge batards in a 3.2 quart combo cooker? I’ve heard of people using a larger goose pot from la Creuset or similar, what are your thoughts on that? More of pain to transfer and score…are there any other options for larger batards?
Hey there! I don’t bake large 800g+ batards in my Dutch oven, they won’t fit. As I typically list in the Bake section on those posts, I use my baking with steam in a home oven method for those.
Thanks! I read your other posts after I sent my first msg. Oops
Thanks Maurizio,
Can you elaborate more on what you mean by “want to use your starter, and levain, when it’s a little less ripe (mature)”? I’m currently following the weekend baker guide you made. So on Wednesday I start feeding my starter, making my leaven Friday night and bake on Sundays. I also have a Brad proofer, can this help?
Also, is there a way to stop my bread from been too well done at the bottom? I use a Lodge combo cooker and I’ve tried moving the pot away from the bottom of the oven where the burner is to a shelf above, away from the heat. I’ve also reduce my heat from 475 to 450. I’m still getting the bottom too well done.
During a single feeding cycle, use your starter (to make a levain) and your levain (when you mix it into dough) before they gets overly sour smelling (acidic). That acidification really carries over to the dough and will make things more sour (assuming other things are kept constant). Essentially, just try to use them a little earlier to see if that helps.
That seems to be a common issue with the Lodge Combo Cooker. You could try sprinkling down some coarse cornmeal or semolina flour to help insulate the dough from the combo cooker. Additionally, I also place a piece of parchment paper down in the pan (carefully). Also, try preheating the CC for less time, perhaps 30 minutes or so.
I hope that helps!
Hi Maurizio,
I’ve been following your site for a while and I’m so please to tell you that I’ve been getting some wonderful results. My wife is well please with one complain. Is there a way to all but remove all sourness from your bread? What I’ve been doing is making my leaven and use it about 12hrs after(well risen). Can I alter the sourness using a different technique?
Hey there, Eugene. Really glad to hear that! There are a few things you can do to try and decrease the sourness of your bread. First, you want to use your starter, and levain, when it’s a little less ripe (mature). That mature, ripe starter/levain has much more acidity than if used when it’s more on the “younger” side. Additionally, you could try using less whole grain flour in your final dough mix. Rye flour, especially, helps stimulate more acid production for a more sour flavor. I realize that you might be trying to make a more whole grain loaf, which is fine, just be aware what effect these flours have on your bread and adjust to suit. Finally, if you can try and reduce the cold proof time in the fridge. You definitely want your dough to be fully proofed, but there’s usually a little leeway there where you can reduce the proof to limit acidity without compromising overall texture and flavor.
I hope this helps!
That should work. You’ll have to test this in your particular oven, though. Be careful transferring the hot pot from your stove top to the oven.
Sure thing, answers below:
a) It’s hard to say because it depends on what size you want your loaves to be. If they’re on the small size, say 700g to 800g you could get away with smaller baskets for sure, and these loaves would fit in a 3.2qt Lodge. Since you have the 5qt Lodge you could do larger loaves, and might be able to fit up to 1kg loaves. Personally I use 14″ long baskets for all my bread, even if they are 800g, all the way up to 1.2kg. I shape them tight enough so they don’t relax out to fill the entire basket anyways — so that also comes into play. I’d say go with the 8.5″ baskets and that’s a good middle ground. After you bake a while you can go bigger if you find it necessary. As bakers it seems we tend to accumulate quite a large number of baskets over the years, no matter what 🙂
b) 5qt would be fine. It’s large so you might need more preheat time. It’s up to you on that one, for me the 3.2qt is perfect for not only smaller breads but also many other uses in the kitchen.
c) I don’t use a vessel when baking oval batards. I bake straight on my baking stone (or Baking Steel) per my guide on Baking With Steam in a Home Oven.
d) I’m not very experienced with vital wheat gluten, I’ve never used it. I’d say try with just your All Purpose and see how your bread bakes up. If you find you need more rise or you’d like a lighter interior adding in some strength into the dough (via VWG or stronger flour) might help. You’ll have to experiment there!
I hope this helps!
HI Maurizio, Is it possible that I preheat the oven only for 10 to 15 minutes. My question is that whether it would same results if I do not pre-heat the oven for one hour and instead I put dutch oven or baking steel on the gas stove top and heat it over there and put them in the oven which can be heated for 15 minutes only. I am asking as this shall save my electricity cost of turning on the oven for pre-heat for more than one hour at highest temperature
Hi Maurizio, I am planning to buy some equipment for sourdough baking and I was a bit confused about selection. Can you please tell me a few things about following equipment to be used in sourdough baking?
a) Which size banneton I should get? Most people on forums recommend 8.5″. Should I go with that or a larger one like 9″ or 10″. The Dutch Oven I plan to by is Lodge 5 Quart. Therefore which size banneton would result in perfectly raised and round boule of bread because I don’t want them to be flat? 8.5″, 9″, or 10″?
b) Do you think that 5 quart lodge dutch oven would make by bread flat? Perhaps I should buy 3.2 quart like yours, I am not sure. I just wanted it to be big for multipurpose use.
c) What vessel do you use for baking oval shaped loafs? I don’t find oval shaped dutch ovens of lodge. Can we shape dough using oval banneton (batard) and then bake in oven without any vessel?
d) We don’t have bread flour over here. But we have all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Can we get same result if we add one table spoon of Vital Wheat by Bob’s red mill in one cup of all purpose flour or whole wheat flour?
I have the same issue with my scale! I thought maybe the battery was too weak, although up until recently I barely ever used it. It’s very annoying!
Ciao Maurizio… so happy I found your site!. I am new to bread making and have made 4 loaves so far. My levain passed the float test each time but my bread did not rise as much as I hoped and was very dense inside. Good crust and good taste just really dense. Any thoughts as to why? thanks !
Hey, Francesca! There are many reasons this could happen, even if your levain passed the float test (which isn’t a definitive “yes” that things will work out). It’s hard for me to say without more info and/or pictures. Feel free to shoot me an email through the Contact link up top and I’ll help get ya going!