The Best Sourdough Tools and Equipment in 2024

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The Nine Essential Sourdough Tools for Beginners

This list of the nine essential sourdough tools will help you bake a delicious loaf of sourdough bread. These must-have tools will make baking bread easier and more consistent.

Furthermore, check out My Everyday Sourdough Bread Recipe to learn how to bake my favorite sourdough bread using these tools!

⚖️ Baking Scale

Most sourdough recipes, including the ones on this site, list ingredients by weight in grams. Weight measurements are far more accurate than volume measurements and allow you to recreate a recipe as the author intended.

This is especially true in sourdough baking, as minute differences in measurements can affect a recipe significantly.

Consequently, a baking scale is probably the most essential tool for any baker.

👉 My Baking Scale Recommendation:

The Escali Baking Scale is my favorite baking scale. It’s not expensive, lightweight, accurate, comes in an array of colors, and has a long battery life.

The digital scale is simple to use with only two buttons- an on/tare/off button and a g/oz button.

The batteries last months for me, and it has a capacity of 11 lb (5,000 grams).

Sourdough Starter

A strong sourdough starter is the foundation of baking sourdough bread. And no, you don’t need a 100+ year San Francisco sourdough starter to make great bread.

Below are my options to make your own sourdough starter or where to purchase one.

👉 My Sourdough Starter Recommendations:

Make your own:

My How to Make a Sourdough Starter recipe and guide teaches you how to make a sourdough starter from scratch.
The post includes recommendations for my favorite sourdough starter jars, ingredients, and spatulas. Making a starter is extremely rewarding and can take anywhere from a week to two weeks.

Purchase a sourdough starter:

Facebook Marketplace can be a helpful hub to search for local sourdough starters, many for free or a few dollars.
If you are in Massachusetts, I’m often doing sourdough starter workshops at public libraries, where attendees leave with free sourdough starter. View my events.
You can purchase fresh or dried sourdough starter from Cultures for Health here (use the code BRANDON15X for 15% off your order!).

Cultures for Health dried sourdough starter bags.

Cultures for Health Sourdough Starter Jar Kit with active sourdough starter rising in it.

Dutch Oven

A Dutch oven is a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid with multiple cooking and baking uses. Dutch ovens are typically cast iron, which helps them absorb and retain heat.

For sourdough baking at home, a Dutch oven best replicates a steam injection professional oven that bakeries use. The Dutch oven traps steam as the loaf bakes, resulting in more oven spring and the chances of a sourdough ear.

Bread cloches can also work well, but many are expensive single-use kitchen items you can’t use over the stovetop. Conversely, a Dutch oven is versatile enough to bake bread, roast meat, deep fry or make stews and soups.

Below is my list of the best Dutch ovens for sourdough bread, with pros and cons for each depending on preferences.

👉 My Dutch Oven Recommendations:

I list three different versions of recommended Dutch ovens below depending on your price range, the pros and cons of each, and versatility.

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Overall, the best dutch oven to bake sourdough bread in is the Lodge Cast Iron Combo Cooker. It’s affordable, versatile, and indestructible and will help you get a dark, crispy crust.

👍 Pros:

Very affordable.
The Combo cooker “lid” serves a dual purpose as a skillet, so it’s a 2-for-1 deal! You bake bread on the lid with the vessel turned upside down. That allows for easy transfer of the bread without potentially burning your forearms.
It’s also very versatile and durable. The Combo cooker is a classic camping staple that you don’t have to worry about chipping like enamel or breaking like ceramic. It’s indestructible.

👎 Cons:

One downside is that you’re limited in size to only bake boules (rounds).
Unfortunately, there aren’t any color options to choose from if that’s important to you.
Ultimately, since it’s cast iron, you’ll need to season and care for the Combo cooker like a cast iron skillet, which can be a con for some.

Enameled Dutch Oven

Enameled Dutch ovens are beautiful and come in an array of colors and price ranges. The enamel coating protects the cast iron from rusting. Popular luxury brands like Le Creuset are collectibles and tout themselves as heirloom pieces.

There are many enameled Dutch ovens suitable for baking sourdough bread.

What to look for:

Temperature range:
- Most sourdough recipes require preheating and baking at 500ºF (260ºC). Some enameled Dutch ovens have oven temperature limits of 450ºF or less, which isn’t ideal for baking bread. Usually, it’s simply a lid handle that can’t withstand high temperatures, and you have to purchase a separate handle for high temperatures (this is the case with some Le Creuset knobs, by the way!).
Capacity and Shape:
- I prefer a 5 to 6-quart capacity for baking sourdough breads. That size is large enough for soups and stews, or deep frying (like the image of my Sourdough Beignets below) providing versatility. You can bake bread in a smaller or larger Dutch oven, but you may need to adjust the size of your loaf.

👉 Two recommendations: My two favorite enameled Dutch ovens are from Lodge and Staub. You can’t go wrong with either.

The Lodge Dutch oven is extremely affordable, made in the U.S.A., and heavy-duty. I’ve used mine for years with no chips or issues.

The Staub Dutch oven is similar to the Lodge version but made in France, considered a high-end Dutch oven. It’s high-quality, and the interior enamel is black, which helps bake the loaf a little darker than the Lodge Dutch oven. Staub also offers different Dutch oven shapes.

👍 Pros:

Enamel Dutch ovens come in various colors, sizes, and prices.
They serve multiple purposes as roasters and stovetop cookers for soups/stews.
Many are considered heirloom pieces.
They’re usually easy to clean since the enamel prevents rust.

👎 Cons:

Not all are heatproof to 500ºF (260ºC), so that’s something to check for before baking bread.
Some report that enamel can chip or stain at high temperatures with heavy use over time. I’ve never had this issue, though.
Furthermore, the high sides of a Dutch oven make transferring scored dough to the oven a bit of a pain. Be sure to wear oven gloves when lowering a loaf in, or you can burn your forearms.

Sourdough beignets puffed up in Dutch oven with hot oil.

Top of the Line Options: Challenger Bread Pan

I couldn’t recommend the Challenger Bread Pan enough for sourdough bakers looking to invest in the absolute best baking vessel. This is the pan I use to bake all of my bread.

If you want to advance your sourdough game and plan on baking bread for a long time, I recommend the Challenger Bread Pan.

👍 Pros:

A sourdough baker developed the Challenger Bread Pan.
It’s made of heavy-duty cast iron specifically for baking the best sourdough.
It traps steam better than any Dutch oven I’ve used and is large enough to fit a boule (round), batard (ovals), or two demi-baguettes.
This pan gives me the best oven spring, blisters, and results.

👎 Cons:

While you can use it for other baking purposes with recipes like cornbread on their website, I use it as a single-use item for baking sourdough.
It’s quite heavy and large (22lbs), so it might not be the best option if you’re limited in kitchen or storage space.
You have to care for it like a cast iron skillet (maintenance is minimal, though, if you’re only cooking bread in it).
Lastly, it’s not cheap, although it’s as expensive as some high-end Dutch ovens.

Banneton

A banneton is a proofing basket, typically made of rattan or wood fiber like a wicker basket. The basket holds the final shape of the sourdough (after bulk fermentation), as it proofs. Bannetons, sometimes called brotforms, often come with a linen liner that helps the dough not stick to the basket.

As the dough proofs, the dough will take the shape of the banneton. A dedicated proofing basket for your sourdough will help you bake a more consistent loaf.

You can construct a makeshift banneton by placing a tea towel in a bowl the size and shape of your sourdough. Flour the tea towel, preferably with white rice flour, to prevent sticking. This method works best for boules (rounds).

👉 My Banneton Recommendations:

The main concern when shopping for a banneton is the shape and size of the banneton.

I use a 10″ oval banneton or a 9″ round banneton for the bread recipes that you see on this site. These banneton sizes are suitable for most standard sourdough bread recipes, with a little breathing room for slightly larger loaves.

If you bake many different shapes or sizes, you can purchase bannetons that will accommodate those bakes.

Fortunately, any brand will be acceptable for most home bakers.

Stitched dough in banneton before overnight proof — Dough in Oval Banneton

Bread Lame

A bread lame (pronounced “LAHM”) is a tool to score (slash) bread dough before baking. Typically a bread lame has a handle with a sharp double-sided razor blade attached.

Scoring dough is essential to control how your bread rises in the oven. It creates a weak point in the dough to direct the expansion of the bread. Without scoring, the dough will rise unpredictably in the oven and can burst in unexpected places.

Moreover, a bread lame can also help you create designs on your bread, like decorative wheat stalks or geometric patterns.

Bread lames come in many shapes and sizes, depending on a baker’s preferences and uses. While some have success with a sharp knife, knives can drag when cutting the dough and generally do not produce an effective score.

👉 My Bread Lame Recommendations:

My favorite all-around sourdough bread lame is the UFO bread lame made by Wire Monkey (affiliate link will give you 10% off!). The straight-edge bread lame allows for easy scoring and control if making intricate designs.

Wire Monkey offers many other bread lame shapes and sizes along with accessories like their colorful bread lame pouches.

Wire Monkey is based in Connecticut and is extremely supportive of the sourdough community, which is another plus.

If you prefer a bread lame with a longer handle, the Mure & Peyrot bread lame is a popular option made in France that offers control, simplicity, and affordability. They offer a curved lame as well to help you produce sourdough ears.

Scoring buckwheat sourdough with bread lame — Scoring dough with the UFO Bread Lame

🔪 Bread Knife

Time and time again, I hear from readers who have a difficult time cutting their sourdough bread. While sourdough has a crispy crust and sometimes a more rigid bottom for home-baked loaves, cutting your loaf of bread should be easy.

Slicing into a loaf with a dull knife is dangerous, and if you don’t have a serrated bread knife, I highly recommend getting one. It will allow you to enjoy your loaves even more and be much safer.

👉 My Bread Knife Recommendations:

My favorite sourdough bread knife is from Lamson. Lamson is the oldest cutlery manufacturer in the U.S., operating since 1837 in Western Massachusetts. Their kitchen knives are marvelous, and their serrated bread knives are no different.

I like their 10-inch bread knife for slicing sourdough. The blade is made from high-carbon stainless steel, is very sharp, and the handle is ergonomic. Additionally, they offer some stunning forged handles like the red Fire knife I use.

The Dexter-Russell bread knife is a more affordable option with a loyal following. It’s a hefty knife that can handle tough tasks at a low price. Many reviewers cite it as one of the best bread knives for the price.

Slices of sourdough sandwich bread on platter with bread knife and towel — Sliced sourdough sandwich bread with the Lamson Fire Bread Knife

Bench Scraper

A bench scraper is a kitchen workhorse. Use a bench scraper to divide, preshape, shape, and transfer your dough as an extension of your hand.

Additionally, you can utilize it to collect and transfer chopped vegetables and herbs, cut pastry, and clean dough and flour from a countertop.

👉 My Bench Scraper Recommendations:

The Oxo bench scraper is sharp, simple, affordable, has measurement markings, and is dishwasher-safe. It’s one of the best bench scrapers you can get. You’ll use it for everything!

If you work with larger doughs, you may want a large bench scraper like the Lamson extra-long dough scraper to easily transfer large loaves.

Shaping sourdough with bench scraper — Shaping my Calabrian Chili and Honey Sourdough Bread with the Lamson Bench Scraper

Mixing Bowls

It’s perhaps overlooked when making bread, but good mixing bowls are indispensable. Sourdough spends significant time in the mixing bowl from mixing, bulk fermentation, and sometimes during an overnight proof.

The main components for bread baking (and baking in general) when choosing mixing bowls are an array of sizes from small to extra large, and that the bowls have flat bottoms.

Flat bottoms do not shift as much when mixing and decrease the likelihood of the bowl toppling over.

Some have preferences for the type of material to use for sourdough baking. However, it doesn’t matter if you mix your sourdough bread in metal, ceramic, wood, or glass mixing bowls.

I tend not to use plastic bowls for sourdough, but plastic bowls are also acceptable.

👉 My Mixing Bowl Recommendations:

I use these Vollrath graduated stainless steel mixing bowls all the time and think they’re the best mixing bowls for sourdough bread.

They have flat bases, are virtually indestructible, are dishwasher safe, and are surprisingly lightweight.

When mixing sourdough, I typically use the 3 or 4-quart bowls, but it’s nice to have the option of a larger or smaller bowl if needed. These stainless steel mixing bowls are the best all-around mixing bowls, and I can’t have enough of them!

I often use vintage Pyrex bowls or stoneware to mix and proof my dough in as well. They obviously look great and some are collectibles, but you can find some at low prices at flea markets, antique stores, or yard sales.

Bulk fermentation sourdough dough in bowl — Dough during bulk fermentation in Pyrex bowl

🧤 Oven Gloves

Remember to consider how hot your Dutch oven gets during sourdough baking. Hot temperatures are required to bake excellent sourdough bread (especially pizza!) but also come with a genuine safety concern.

I preheat my cast-iron pans for about an hour at 500ºF (260ºC) before baking, so it’s vital to have oven-safe gloves that can handle hot temperatures to protect yourself.

Look for oven gloves that can tolerate temperatures at 500º (260ºC) or above for at least 15-30 seconds. Additionally, you want durable and flexible gloves with some grip so you can quickly lift a heavy pan and lid off during baking.

Finally, if you have a Dutch oven with high sides, think about getting gloves that reach your forearms so you can lower your bread into the pot without burning your forearms.

👉 My Oven Glove Recommendations:

The Ove Glove is my favorite baking glove for balancing flexibility and high temperatures.

It has grips, so a pan doesn’t slide out of your hands; it’s also safe to use up to 540ºF (282ºC). You can feel warmth using the gloves for over a few seconds, but they’ve never felt hot when I’ve used mine.

Note: Ove Gloves are often sold singularly, so purchase two if they don’t come in a pair!

Other oven gloves I use often are these LANON liquid silicone gloves. These gloves are unique because they’re waterproof and can handle extremely cold and hot temperatures ranging from -100ºF (-73ºC) to 570ºF (299ºC).

Another plus is that these gloves offer more forearm protection if you are lowering your bread into a high-sided Dutch oven. They’re easy to clean too! However, I notice that mine heat up faster than the Ove Glove and get warm after 5-10 seconds of holding my preheated cast iron. I rarely carry my pan any longer than that though, so it’s not been a concern for me.

Optional but Helpful Sourdough Tools to Elevate Your Baking

This list of optional but helpful sourdough tools will make your bread bakes more consistent and refined.

Instant-Read Thermometer

Temperature is one of the most critical facets of fermentation that impacts sourdough baking. From the sourdough starter temperature, bulk fermentation, and overnight cold proof (retard), temperature and time can be thought of as essential “ingredients” that affect the outcome of your bread.

You can also use an instant probe thermometer for other cooking and baking, such as deep frying or tempering chocolate, like a candy thermometer.

If you experience fluctuating kitchen temperatures, especially during seasonal changes, or have under/over loaves often, use an instant-read thermometer to periodically check on how your dough is proofing.

Keeping your dough in a comfortable 70-80ºF (21-27ºC) temperature range will keep your sourdough starter and dough happy as it ferments.

👉 My Instant-Read Thermometer Recommendation:

The Thermapen is the best instant-read thermometer around.

It’s accurate, waterproof, has a sharp metal probe for piercing items like meat, has a rotating screen, has a long battery life, and has an automatic backlight.

It’s well worth the investment, and you will never purchase another kitchen thermometer again.

Using Thermapen to measure dough temperature in bulk fermentation

Brød and Taylor Proofing Box

The Brød and Taylor folding proofing box is one of my favorite kitchen tools. Getting one immediately remedied many of my proofing issues by keeping my dough at a constant temperature.

Since temperature influences fermentation greatly, sometimes my sourdough would proof at very inconsistent time ranges depending on how warm or cold my kitchen was. I tried many methods of keeping my dough at a stable temperature, like keeping it in an oven with the light turned on. However, that can lead to oven accidents (I’ve read many baked sourdough starter horror stories!) and still erratic temperatures.

The Brød and Taylor proofer is the best solution for a stable environment for proofing dough or other fermented products.

It folds up for easy storage, has a wide proofing temperature range (70-120ºF or 21-49ºC), and you can purchase an extra shelf to proof multiple items simultaneously. Furthermore, it can act as a slow cooker with temperatures ranging from 85-197ºF (30-90ºC).

For those looking to invest in their sourdough baking (or other fermented products), this is one of the best gifts you can get for yourself or add to a wishlist.

Jar of sourdough starter in bread proofer — Jar of sourdough starter in proofer

☀️ The Best Sourdough Starter Warmer

The best sourdough starter warmer is Goldie by Sourhouse.

I’ve been using Goldie for about a few years now, and absolutely love it. It keeps my sourdough starter in the perfect temperature range needed to perform optimally between 75-82ºF.

Goldie was designed by sourdough bakers and has a sleek, beautiful design that takes up minimal counter space. Plus, you can watch your sourdough starter rise behind the modern glass cloche.

To use, simply plug in Goldie using its USB to US wall adaptor. Turn on the auto warming switch and small light on the device will turn Gold to indicate that your starter is in the “Goldilocks Zone” for your starter.

If your kitchen is on the cool side during winter like mine, Goldie is a lifesaver for your sourdough starter and it’s the best sourdough starter warmer to keep your starter in a consistent temperature range.

Even better, Goldie fits multiple-sized sourdough starter jars and they even sell their own quart and pint-sized sourdough starter jars that are perfect for maintaining your sourdough starter in.

Note: Use the code BB23 to get 10% off your first order.

Baking Steel

If you want to get serious with your pizza baking, the Baking Steel is a great tool that conducts heat well and works perfectly for homemade sourdough pizza.

The Baking Steel can also be used to bake sourdough bread. I’ve seen some use a metal lid over their dough with a couple of ice cubes for success. Similarly, some use lava rocks and hot towels in the bottom of the oven to create massive steam. I prefer a Dutch oven for baking bread, but if you know you’ll be baking more pizza than bread, this might be your option.

Dough Whisk

Danish dough whisks are popular mixing whisks specifically made for mixing flour and water together. They typically consist of a large wooden handle and stainless steel hoops. This design can help you mix dough, batter, or stir thick ingredients together with less effort than a spatula or messiness on your hands.

Are Danish dough whisks necessary?

I typically mix most of my sourdough breads by hand and prefer using less tools in the kitchen when possible. The feeling of mixing flour and water together in a bowl is one of my favorite tasks!

However, dough whisks can be particularly helpful for high-hydration doughs like my 100% hydration Sourdough Pan de Cristal (Glass Bread) or Einkorn Sourdough Bread recipes where I recommend using one.

I’ve found more and more that using the dough whisk is a helpful tool to have around when I don’t feel like getting too much sticky dough on my hands or when a recipe is very high hydration.

My recommendation: This Danish dough whisk is affordable and works great if you’re looking for one! Once again, not 100% necessary, but they can be a helpful sourdough tool to add to your arsenal.

Dough whisk over bowl of flour and water

🌾 Grain Mill

Many different grain mills on the market perform well. Fortunately, NutriMill sent me their Harvest Grain Mill, which has been exceptional at milling flour as a home baker.

If you’re interested in stone-milling your own wheat berries such as einkorn, spelt, or rye (or other products), I highly recommend the NutriMill Harvest Grain Mill.

First of all, it has a beautiful, sleek design with multiple color options and it’s made with eco-friendly bamboo. But most importantly, it’s extremely easy to use and does a great job of making fine-milled flour.

👍 Pros:

Nice design and looks good on a countertop.
Easy to use with a simple dial to control how coarse or fine you want the flour to be.
You can grind other non-oily beans and legumes.
Great for home bakers.
5-year warranty.

👎 Cons:

Not uncommon to grain mills, but it is loud for an appliance while in use.
Typical of most grain mills, but the flour can heat up quickly. So if you’re doing large amounts, you need to pause it occasionally.
Price. The Harvest Grain Mill costs $349, which is mid-range for a home flour mill. This can be out of budget for many people. However, their classic grain mill is $279 and is the best quality lower-priced mill you can find. To compare, Mock Mills (another popular milling brand) range from $342 to $798.

Milling einkorn flour into a bowl with the Nutrimill Harvest Grain Mill

Conclusion

I regularly update and edit this list of sourdough tools and equipment to meet the needs of most sourdough home bakers. For specific tools and ingredients for recipes beyond sourdough bread, check out the “tools needed” and “ingredients needed” sections of my recipes.

One can purchase numerous additional sourdough tools, including bread boxes, storage bags, large bulk containers, professional ovens, mixers, and other accessories.

I excluded these items (for now as they largely address the needs of cottage bakers or those looking to start an in-home sourdough bread business. However, if you would like recommendations for these items, please comment below or email me so I can advise you or add to this guide!