Sourdough Tools and Equipment

This Sourdough Tools and Equipment Guide reviews and recommends the essential sourdough tools a home baker needs to make the best sourdough bread.

This guide outlines a range of sourdough tools for beginners to advanced home bakers, catering to various budgets. They’re all tested and approved by me, and I only recommend products I know you’ll love.

The list includes the best Dutch ovens, bannetons, mixing bowls, bread lames, knives, and more.

It’s also an excellent sourdough gift guide for the sourdough bread baker in your life (or yourself) and is updated regularly.

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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!

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1. ⚖️ 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, allowing you to recreate a recipe as the writer intended.

The Escali Baking Scale is my favorite baking scale for sourdough. It’s not expensive, lightweight, accurate, available in a variety of colors, simple to use, and has a long battery life.

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2. 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.

Make your own:

• My How to Make a Sourdough Starter recipe 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 for searching for local sourdough starters, many of which are available for free or a few dollars.
• If you are in Massachusetts, I often conduct sourdough starter workshops at public libraries, where attendees leave with a 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!).

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3. 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 the steam injection of a professional oven used by bakeries. The Dutch oven traps steam as the loaf bakes, resulting in more oven spring and the chances of a sourdough ear.

Below is my list of the three best Dutch ovens for sourdough bread, along with the pros and cons for each, taking into account individual preferences and budget.

Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven

Overall, the best Dutch oven for baking sourdough bread 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.
• Versatile as a dual cooker. 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 indestructible. The Combo cooker is a classic camping staple that you don’t have to worry about chipping, like enamel, or breaking, like ceramic.

👎 Cons:

• Limited in size and shape to bake boules (rounds).
• No color options.
• Cast iron needs some occasional maintenance and seasoning.

Enameled Dutch Ovens

Some things to keep in mind when shopping for an enameled Dutch oven:

• 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, making jam, or deep frying recipes like Sourdough Beignets or Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts, 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, and is 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:

• Available in a variety of colors, sizes, and price ranges.
• Serve multiple purposes as roasters and stovetop cookers for soups/stews/jam.
• Some are heirloom pieces.
• Easy to clean since the enamel prevents rust.

👎 Cons:

• Not all are heatproof to 500ºF (260ºC).
• Some reports suggest that enamel can chip or stain when exposed to high temperatures and subjected to prolonged, heavy use over time. I’ve never had this issue.
• Furthermore, the high sides of a Dutch oven make transferring scored dough to the oven somewhat challenging. Be sure to wear oven gloves when lowering a loaf in, or you can burn your forearms.

Challenger Bread Pan

The Challenger Bread Pan produces the best sourdough bread for home bakers seeking to invest in their craft.

👍 Pros:

• A sourdough baker developed the Challenger Bread Pan.
• It’s made of heavy-duty cast iron for dark, crackly crust.
• 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, 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.

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4. 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.

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).

The primary things to look for when shopping for a banneton are the shape and size.

The best bannetons for sourdough bread are the 10″ batard (oval) and 8.5″ boule (round) bannetons from Brød and Taylor. These bannetons are suitable for most standard sourdough bread recipes, with a little breathing room for slightly larger loaves.

The bannetons are stackable, can be used with or without liners, easily release dough, and are made with sustainable materials.

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5. 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 bread’s expansion. 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.

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.

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 also offer a curved lame to help you produce sourdough ears.

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6. 🔪 Bread Knife

Time and again, I hear from readers who struggle to cut their sourdough bread. While sourdough bread has a crispy crust and sometimes a more rigid bottom, cutting your loaf of bread should be easy and safe.

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.

The blade is made from high-carbon stainless steel, is very sharp, and the handle is ergonomic.

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.

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7. 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 in butter for Sourdough Pie Crust, and clean the countertop.

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, consider using a large bench scraper, such as the Lamson extra-long dough scraper, to easily transfer large loaves.

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8. Mixing Bowls

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

I like having many sizes of bowls with flat bottoms for dough.

Flat bottoms do not shift as much when mixing, which decreases 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.

For beginners, glass mixing bowls can be helpful for observing fermentation and visualizing how much the dough has proofed.

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.

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9. 🧤 Oven Gloves

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

Look for oven gloves that can withstand temperatures of 500ºF (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.

The Ove Glove is my favorite sourdough baking glove for striking a balance between flexibility and high temperatures.

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

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

They’re great for making canned goods and jam like my Concord Grape Jam with Vanilla.

Another plus is that these gloves offer more forearm protection when lowering bread into a high-sided Dutch oven. Finally, they’re easy to clean too!

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Optional but Helpful Sourdough Tools

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

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🌡 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.

The Thermapen is the best instant-read thermometer for sourdough.

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

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

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Brød and Taylor Proofing Box

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

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

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.

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☀️ The Best Sourdough Starter Warmer

The best sourdough starter warmer is Goldie by Sourhouse.

It keeps sourdough starter in the perfect temperature range needed to perform optimally between 75-82ºF.

Sourdough bakers designed Goldie, and it features a sleek, beautiful design that occupies minimal counter space. Plus, you can watch your sourdough starter rise behind the modern glass cloche.

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.

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Bread Steel

If you want to get serious with making pizza, Sourdough Baguettes, or Sourdough Pita Bread, the Brod and Taylor Bread 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.

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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 in Sourdough Autolyse with less effort than a spatula or messiness on your hands.

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.

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.

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🌾 Grain Mill

Many different grain mills on the market perform well.

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. 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) can range much higher.

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