Sourdough Baking Tools
Essential and helpful suppliesFlours
King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
This top-quality flour, with its medium protein level, is the best choice for both feeding your starter and baking with it.
Pumpernickel (Whole Rye) Flour
Like whole wheat flour, pumpernickel offers wild yeast a supportive atmosphere for growth as you build your starter.
King Arthur Premium Whole Wheat Flour
A great whole-grain flour for the initial build of your homemade starter, and for baking whole-grain sourdough breads.
Must haves
Baker's Bench Knife
Nothing beats this tool for dividing yeast dough into loaves or rolls; or even scraping dried dough off your counter!
Bowl Scraper
Perfect for scraping sticky starter out of its crock, or dough out of a bowl (or off your kneading surface).
Scale
For best, most consistent results in sourdough baking, weigh your ingredients: flour and water for feeding, all ingredients for baking.
Should haves
Baking Stone
A thoroughly heated baking stone ensures the best rise and crispiest crust for your sourdough bread and pizza.
Thermometer
Is your rising starter warm enough? And did you know dough temperature affects bread's rise and texture? You NEED a thermometer!
Parchment Paper
Use it for everything from lining your baking pans to drying your excess starter on it prior to disposal.
Nice to haves
Brotform
Hold, shape, and mark your rising sourdough loaf in this classic rising basket. Turn out of the basket onto a pan or stone to bake.
Couche
Professional bakers use this canvas cloth to support their rising baguettes. Canvas helps ensure a crisp/crackly crust, too.
Lame
Slashing artisan loaves with a lame prior to baking ensures they'll rise evenly. Plus those slashes look gorgeous!
Dutch Oven
Looking for that signature shiny, blistered top crust on your sourdough loaves? Dutch ovens deliver!
Bread Knife
Don't ruin your perfect sourdough loaf with an uneven, hacked slicing job. A good serrated knife is your key to success.
Sourdough Crock
With its loose lid (for air circulation) and small footprint, this storage crock is ideal for either counter or fridge starter storage.
Pantry items
Measuring Beaker
If you're not measuring your sourdough ingredients with a scale, this all-purpose beaker is your measuring tool of choice.
Bowl
Feed your starter. Mix your dough. Let it rise. No tool is more key to bread-baking than a good mixing bowl.
Measuring Spoons
Don't rely on cheap measuring spoons for the precise balance of salt and yeast in your sourdough bread! Use these instead.
FAQ
Did I kill my starter? How do I get more sour flavor? Answers to your critical sourdough questions.
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Glossary
Learn how to talk like a baker with this guide to foreign words and sourdough jargon.
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