The Best Tools for Baking Sourdough, According to Our Testing

When it comes to feeding sourdough starter or mixing dough, a wooden spoon or silicone spatula will come in very handy. I especially like using this silicone spoon-and-spatula hybrid for mixing and scooping sourdough ingredients. The spoon design helps scoop ingredients, while its flexible sides are great for getting into the nooks and crannies of your starter jar or a mixing bowl. You can also throw it into the dishwasher, instead of scrubbing stuck-on dough from a wooden spoon.

While you don’t need this stylish, innovative gadget, it’s been a game changer for maintaining an active starter—I’ve used it in my own baking for years. It keeps your starter at the ideal temperature (75°F to 82°F) on the counter, so it stays active and ready to use. It fits a variety of jar sizes, including the Lékué above, and Sourhouse also offers its own starter jar with a flexible silicone lid for optimal airflow.

A set of mixing bowls can come in handy, especially if you're new to bread baking. Weigh your ingredients in a bowl, mix, and bulk ferment your dough in a large bowl. You can even put a tea towel inside a mixing bowl, lightly dust it with flour, add your loaf, and conduct your final proof if you don't have a proofing basket. Opaque bowls like these from Pyrex are especially helpful if you're conducting your bulk ferment, so you can monitor your dough's growth.

You don’t need a dough whisk, but it’s incredibly helpful for mixing dough. A durable model that won’t bend or break is especially important when working with stiff recipes. I also love that this one is dishwasher-safe (unlike many others), since removing dried dough from a whisk can be a hassle—I’d much rather let the dishwasher do the work.

If you're serious about sourdough baking, Martin Philip recommends investing in a set of Cambro containers with lids. "They're great to have for mixing dough and then proofing; you can easily monitor volumetric rise through a clear container," says Philip. Pro tip: While you're at it, get a few more to store all of the flours that you'll be baking with.

Some sourdough recipes call for hand kneading or using a stand mixer. While this isn't a required sourdough tool, a stand mixer like the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer with the dough hook attachment can help knead your dough quickly and without cramping your hands or tiring your wrists. The pouring shield is also helpful so you don't get flour all over your kitchen.

RELATED: Best Stand Mixers

Traditional measuring cups and spoons could suffice for measuring ingredients, but a kitchen scale ensures precise amounts. For this reason, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale if you're serious about bread baking. "Always weigh your (sourdough) starter using a scale, because a starter can vary in size based on how ripe it is, and a scale will always give you the most accurate measurement," says Philip.

This particular scale stood out in my Lab tests for its accuracy. It also features a pull-out display that lets you view the weight with ease, even if your sourdough is in a large mixing bowl.

This Thermoworks thermometer isn't just for meat; it's a great tool for bread baking. Monitoring the temperature of your dough throughout the bread-making process helps ensure consistent results. You should aim for 190°F to 210°F for the interior temperature of your final loaf of bread to ensure that it's not gummy inside. This thermometer is our overall top performer and a past Kitchen Gear Award winner.

RELATED: Best Thermometers

Plastic bench scrapers are usually very affordable and worth buying for bread baking and beyond. Use it to peel dough off of your work surface or gently transfer a shaped dough from your proofing basket to a baking cloche. You can even use one to portion dough when making multiple loaves at once.

When I finally invested in a proofing basket, I was surprised it had taken me so long to get one. A proofing banneton (or basket or brotform) can help your loaf retain its shape and create a rustic look, making it a valuable replacement for a mixing bowl with a tea towel. If you've also ever wondered why your local bakery’s boule has an intricate ring pattern on top, the shop likely uses a basket like this during the final rise.

Pre-cut parchment paper is great to have on hand when baking—especially for sourdough. Use it to help transfer your proofed dough onto your baking surface. “Bakers cannot live without parchment; sourdough is in its most fragile state after proof and needs to be coddled (handled gently) and moved around on parchment,” says Philip.

Parchment paper also ensures that your loaf doesn't stick to your baking surface, and you can double up on pieces if you notice the bottom of your loaf getting too dark. We love these sheets from King Arthur because they're durable and can withstand a high-heat oven (up to 450ºF) without disintegrating into your bread like some competitors' sheets do.

While you could use a bread knife or kitchen shears to score (aka cut slashes into your dough) before it bakes, a lame is an affordable upgrade that will yield great bread results. They typically have a long, thin handle and a metal razor at the top. Using it on your bread before baking helps control the expansion so it keeps its shape and doesn't burst.

"Get a lame with a replaceable blade; it's key that it's very sharp or you won't be able to score correctly," says Philip. This lame from Saint Germain Baker comes with 10 replacement blades, so you will always have a sharp blade at the ready.

For baking your sourdough, a pan or a Dutch oven will do the trick, but a bread cloche can take your loaf’s crumb and crust to the next level. In our Lab tests, this bread cloche yielded a beautifully browned loaf every time. Both yeasted and sourdough loaves rose higher in this cloche than in any other we tested.

RELATED: Best Bread Baking Cloches

If you don't have a Dutch oven or a bread cloche, a pizza stone is a great tool for baking sourdough, too. It's also more versatile, since you can bake loaves of different sizes and shapes, like long baguettes, bagels, or two boules at once. This pizza stone excels at retaining high-heat for ensuring breads and pizzas alike achieve a golden crust.

If you're interested in baking sourdough in the classic sandwich loaf shape, you'll need a trusty loaf pan. I love that this one comes with a lid, so you can do your final proof in it without fussing with plastic wrap, and that it's clear so you can monitor the proof. This model is also top-tested in our Lab.

Always let your sourdough cool for at least an hour after baking, or until the interior reaches room temperature—another time your thermometer comes in handy. A sturdy cooling rack, like this one from OXO (which I use at home), helps keep the crust crisp by allowing air to circulate around the loaf.

A bread knife can help score your bread in a pinch, but it is most helpful for cracking into your loaf. In testing, this Victorinox bread knife sawed through hearty crusts and bagels with ease, while also producing paper-thin tomato and strawberry slices—meaning you’ll be well on your way to making great sandwiches.

If you don’t already have a bread box or storage solution, I recommend this Keeki beeswax-lined bag. I’ve used it both in our Lab and at home as a sustainable way to store leftover sourdough, and it works well.