The Bare Bones of Bread Baking: What Tools You Really Need to Start

Think you need a full professional kitchen to make homemade bread? Think again! You actually need surprisingly little to create fresh-baked bread. You don't need a professional kitchen. In reality, all you need are a few tools. Keep in mind that when I say “need,” I am referring to items that I believe are actually essential for making bread. Without them, it would be impossible to bake bread at all.

What is the Beginner's Toolkit?

There are only five tools you need to start making bread. If you do a simple search, you’ll find plenty of opinions on tools you “need” for baking bread. For these lists to make sense, you really do need to define your bread-baking goal. For example, the tools you need will be different if you are looking to make bread similar to professional bakers, versus if you just want to get your feet wet to see if you even like making bread.

I have found there are five tools you need to make bread if you are looking to start baking. Again, keep in mind that I define “need” as an item essential for making bread, not things that just make baking bread a lot easier. The five tools you absolutely need are:

1. A mixing bowl

2. An oven

3. Something to bake the bread on (e.g., a baking sheet or pizza stone)

4. Something to mix the dough (e.g., your hands or the handle of a wooden spoon)

5. Something to measure your ingredients.

No special mixing bowl is required for making bread

No special types of mixing bowls are needed to make great bread in your own home. With that said, some types can be more helpful than others. For example, a glass mixing bowl is nice and sturdy and lets you see how much your dough has risen during bulk fermentation. I personally use stainless steel mixing bowls because they are typically lighter and easier to handle. Before my stainless steel mixing bowls, I used plastic mixing bowls. You may find some long-time bakers who insist on using only one type of bowl over others. If you're curious, give it a try and judge for yourself. Just know that you can make great bread with any type of bowl, even a bowl you may have in your house right now.

You need an oven to bake your bread (obviously)

You need a decent oven to bake all of your breads. Typically, people have either an electric or a gas oven inside their home. It is possible to make great bread in either oven, but an electric oven is more ideal than a gas oven. A big disadvantage of a gas oven is that it is challenging to get crusty bread (if that is your thing) because gas ovens are typically designed to efficiently vent out steam. Steam allows for maximum oven spring and crusty bread by slowing the setting of the bread crust. Removing the steam means it is difficult to achieve the loaves you see in a bakery or on your favorite influencers.

Note: A common way around this limitation of a gas oven is to use a Dutch oven. Essentially, the Dutch oven traps the steam produced by your bread in the first few minutes (with the lid on) and uses that to delay when the crust sets. After the first few minutes, you remove the lid and let the bread bake until it is done.

You need something to bake the bread on

There are many things you can use to bake your bread. A cookie sheet, a baking sheet, a pizza stone, or a Dutch oven are all good examples. I recommend starting with either a baking sheet or a cookie sheet. The pizza stone and Dutch oven are great because you can preheat them, which will give your bread that initial heat to add to the oven spring. Ultimately, it is up to you which one you choose, but you need something!

You really only need your hands to mix the dough

You need something to mix and combine your ingredients in your bowl. You only need your hand to mix the dough. In fact, especially for sourdough, some recommend mixing by hand because it helps you get a feel for your dough, and the bacteria on your hands can help the dough that uses wild yeast (as opposed to commercial yeast). But if that is not appealing to you, there are other tools you can use to mix your dough. I recommend a bowl scraper. It allows you to scrape the bowl efficiently and mix your ingredients. If you do not want to buy another tool, you can use the handle of a wooden spoon to mix the dough. No matter what you use, you need something!

You need something, like a scale, to measure your ingredients

You need something to measure ingredients, and I highly recommend a scale. You can use a scale or volume measure (i.e., cups and teaspoons) to measure your ingredients. However, I highly recommend using a scale to measure your ingredients because of the benefits, like greater precision, that come with it (See this article for more details). I recommend investing in a scale because it is worth it, especially if you find sites (like King Arthur) or influencers who share their recipes in weights. However, if you do not want to invest in an inexpensive scale, you can definitely use volume measurements, but there is a good chance your results will be inconsistent or unexpected.

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You now know the essentials for making great bread at home! While it can be challenging, baking bread is also very rewarding. Understanding the minimal requirements for the equipment needed is a simple but powerful first step that can strengthen your confidence. You are all set to embark on your bread-baking adventures! To receive more information like this to streamline your baking and savor your success, join our mailing list!

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