But while some of these will prove necessary from the start, others can wait until you feel prepared to up your game. The best part is that each of these accessories can be used for so much more than making bread!
I use each of these tools just about every day. In fact, if my kitchen had nothing else save an oven and pantry , I could just about survive with nothing more than these nine items.
From scraping down every last bit of cake batter to manipulating sticky bread dough, there is no tool more useful than a trusty scraper. Ateco Bowl Scraper. I prefer the white rectangular variety with one rounded edge, like this one by Ateco. The rounded side is invaluable in clearing a bowl, while the straight edge aids in cleaning batter out of tricky corners or off of tall sides.
Not just for cleaning, the bowl scraper functions as an extension of your own hand — providing better leverage than a spatula while keeping fingers clean.
I love using my scraper for spreading marshmallows , kneading dough , even frosting a cake! If I were to recommend a top tool needed in every home kitchen, this would undoubtedly be it. Plus they are easy on the wallet, making it easy to purchase quite a few! I like to keep three or four circulating in my home kitchen at all times, so that one is always at hand.
Find it on Amazon now. A dull, rectangular blade with an ergonomic handle, this tool will come in handy from start to finish. Dexter-Russell Walnut Dough Scraper. It is easier to leverage than a typical knife, and will slice easily through bread dough, where it is particularly important to cut through rather than stretch out the gluten strands. I prefer a knife with a sturdy wooden handle to plastic.
It is easy to use and feels great in the hand. Have you ever baked a loaf of free-form bread or delicately formed rolls , only to have them stick to the bottom of your pan? Are you tired of wasting excessive amounts of parchment paper — let alone the frustration of cutting it to the right size?
Typically made to fit half-sheet and full-sheet baking trays perfectly, these mats are easy to clean, reusable, and excellent at keeping things from sticking to the tray. They are particularly helpful for making bread, but I also use them to bake free-form tarts and galettes, cookies , meringues , and more.
I especially love them for recipes involving a sprinkling of sugar — the caramelized bits that might be tricky to scrape off a metal tray slide right off the silicone mat.
I stick with the classic Silpat brand pictured above, but there are plenty of cheaper options available as well. Available in multiple sizes on Amazon. Or, read our full review of Silpat silicone baking mats and other top-quality products here. These are necessary for quick breads like banana or zucchini , and offer the perfect shape for a sturdy yeasted loaf bound for sandwiches as well.
Bread Baskets Bread Boxes — Bread boxes help for short-term storage of homemade bread. However, for long-term storage, you should freeze your bread. Bread Knives — Bread knives are useful for easily cutting bread slices for sandwiches, breakfast toast, etc. Bread Machines — Bread machines simplify bread making at home because you do not have to knead the bread, use an oven, etc.
You can also use bread machines to make banana bread, pizza dough, etc. Bread Making Kits — These specialized kits come with many of the tools needed to make sourdough bread, baguettes, etc. Bread Pans — Bread pans are essential bread making tools for oven-baked breads, banana breads, etc. Bread Slicers — If you want to make perfect bread slices not too wide or too thin when cutting up your homemade bread… then you should try a bread slicer.
Otherwise, your bread will have a soggy bottom. This is another essential bread making tool for a beginner bread maker. Cutting Boards — Cutting boards allow you to cut your bread without damaging the underlying table or counter. Personally, I like to use wood cutting boards versus plastic cutting boards. Dough Hooks — Dough hooks turn electric stand mixers into fantastic kneading machines.
Great for making homemade bread. Just make sure that you buy a dough hook that will fit your electric mixer! Dough Mixers — Some people like to use just a dough mixer in order to create the perfect dough.
Dough Scrapers — Dough scrapers are tools used to scrape the bread dough off a kitchen surface i. Kneading Machines — If you want to make more exotic shaped bread… okay non-block shaped bread : , you can use your hands or a kneading machine in order to knead your bread dough before you bake it in your oven.
You can also use most bread machines in order to knead bread dough. Loaf Liners — Think of these as muffin liners but for bread. They make lifting baked goods out of a bread pan much easier esp. They reduce the chance that the baked good will get stuck to the bottom of the bread pan. Measuring Cups — Accurate bread measuring tools i.
Just winging the measurements results in more bread failures i. Measuring Spoons — These spoons will help you to follow the recipe by giving you the exact measurements for teaspoons, tablespoons, etc. Or maybe a neighbor or friend loaned you some starter, and you've starting finding some of the online communities devoted to making sourdough.
If that's the case, then you're probably ready to invest a little more in getting the right tools to make bread. But what should you buy? And what do you really need? While there is no end to the bread-baking tools that are for sale, we're going to break down which ones are most essential, what they're for, and how to use them—plus recommend a high-quality version, and occasionally what you can use instead, if you just don't want to invest.
We're also including a couple of our favorite books, which are just as important! Like with most cooking, the best way to get truly good results is with time, attention, and the willingness to experiment and make mistakes.
So no matter what you have on hand, keep baking! You'll be making incredible bread in no time. If you're going to make good bread, you'll want clear, easy-to-follow, trustworthy instructions. And this slim volume by New Orleans baker Bryan Ford has just that.
Starting with a simple "pan rustico" country bread, Ford's book includes dozens of delicious, easy recipes for everything from Challah and English muffins to plantain sourdough and NOLA-style French bread. Part cookbook, part memoir, this account of a year at North Carolina's Smoke Signals wood-fired bakery will inspire you to keep baking as much as it will show you how to make a great loaf.
A cup of flour can weigh very different amounts depending on how densely it's packed. And because even small differences in the ratio of flour to water will change a bread dough significantly, the best way to assure consistency is with a scale. Sure, a lot of the craft is trial and error and getting a feel for how the dough should look, act, and feel throughout the bread-making process. But equally as important are precise measurements, proper ingredients, and practical tools.
Here's where that science aspect comes into play. First, measuring your flour, water, and starter in grams or ounces will greatly improve your accuracy and consistency. And speaking of consistency, when you're portioning dough into smaller loaves or rolls, a scale is essential for creating identical batches. Not only does a bench scraper keep your countertop clean, but it's also the ideal tool for lifting and folding sticky dough from the work surface as well as cutting dough down into portions.
A flexible bench and bowl combination can do double duty by also helping get every scrap of dough out of the mixing bowl. Sure, any bowl can work mixing up ingredients, but for dough that expands in size and can be finicky about when it's proofed long enough, a clear, graduated container can help you keep an eye on things. A good idea to have in your oven no matter what because ovens can vary a reliable and accurate oven thermometer will tell you the exact temperature inside despite what the knob or display says it is.
Once your piping hot loaves come out of the oven, you'll need a place to put them will good circulation so they cool down as soon as possible so you can eat them! Especially if you're planning to make sandwich bread, a loaf pan is the vessel of choice for uniformly rectangular bread. If you're opting for a no-knead method, then you'll want to consider a cast iron loaf pan which can be properly heated up in the oven before placing the dough inside. A basket designed for bread helps keep your bread's shape during that final proof and promotes a higher rise.
Ensure your bread's doneness inside, and also double-check the water temperature for the yeast to do its job in the fermentation process. If you're looking for sourdough but don't have your own starter, consider sourcing some from a local bakery or online. Read more about acquiring some sourdough starter here.
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