What products do you need to bake bread? When baking breads, there are a few kitchen products that will ease the process and help produce superior breads. Some baking equipment such as mixers, dough raising bowls and baking stones aren’t completely necessary, however they can be very nice to have around. So what bread baking equipment do you need to bake breads? Measurements Spoons & Cups
You certainly need a set of measurement cups as well as measurement spoons. We like clean stainless steel models that work well, come clean easily and last for a long time.
Electronic Digital Scale
A scale is an invaluable tool when baking breads. Many bread recipes simply calls for ingredients by weight, and not volume. Either way, it’s good to get into the habit of always measuring your ingredients by weight in order to use an accurate amount.
Mixer
While a mixer isn’t a necessary tool for most breads, it’s will make bread baking a lot easier. Wet doughs in particular are so much easier to work with in a mixer since they can be too sticky to knead by hand. Also, if you bake a lot of breads, your wrists and hands will thank you one day for the aid provided by the mixer.
Mixers can vary somewhat in price. We recommend either a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer for moderate bread baking, or a KitchenAid Professional Stand Mixer if you need a larger capacity bowl and more power.
Silpat
If you don’t have an appropriate wooden work table, then a large silpat works nice to work on instead. Simply flour the silpat and knead/form your dough on the surface.
Mixing Bowls
When baking breads, it’s useful to have many mixing bowls on hand in different sizes. We prefer clear glass bowls as well as stainless steel bowls that clean easily and look nice.
Wooden Spoons
We prefer to mix our doughs with sturdy wooden spoons. Keep a few well-constructed spoons of various sizes on hand for convenient baking.
Silicon Spatula
Silicon spatulas are very useful to have on hand when transferring a loose dough into another bowl, mixer or out on a table. Bread Scraper
A bread scraper is a very cheap tool that is perfect for a variety of tasks. Use it to scrape up sticky dough from a wooden surface or to divide doughs.
Rolling Pin/French Pin
When baking some breads such as cinnamon raisin bread, you will need a rolling pin to roll the dough out. We prefer a sturdy wooden one-piece rolling pin.
Ruler
Sometimes a large ruler is useful to have on hand when measuring the dough. Keep one designated ruler in the kitchen especially for bread baking. Dough Rising Container
A proper dough rising container is very useful when measuring how much the dough has risen. Dough rising containers are usually made of plastic and have marked sides so you can see exactly how much your dough has risen. These bowls can be difficult to find, but there are several stores online that offer this useful product.
Plastic Wrap
If you’re actively baking breads, you will use a lot of plastic wrap to cover the dough at different stages. Make sure to always keep some of this versatile product on hand.
Linen/Cotton Kitchen Towels
When you’re shaping your breads and letting them rise, it can be very useful to have practical kitchen towels on hand made from linen or cotton. These towels get floured and used over and over again, so make sure to invest in quality bread towels.
Bannetons
A bread banneton is a rising baskets that is used when the dough needs additional support. Traditional bannetons provide a beautiful shape and pattern imprinted on the bread and can be made in various materials. These bannetons are relatively expensive, however they are extremely useful and will last a long time if used properly.
Thermometer
A proper thermometer is an extremely useful tool when baking bread. It allows you to check the internal temperature of the bread in order to see exactly when it’s done baking. We prefer a digital thermometer for this task.
Baking Sheet
Baking sheets are extremely useful to have on hand. We prefer sturdy, well-made baking sheets that will stand up to a lot of use.
Baking Stone
A baking stone is a very nice tool to have if you enjoy baking breads. The baking stone will ensure a wonderful crusty bread and also controls the temperature of the oven. You can find different types of baking stones made with stoneware varying in price, size and thickness.
Cast iron pan
It is a good idea to keep a special small cast iron pan on the lowest shelf of the oven when baking bread. That pan can be used to put ice cubes in to produce steam and will also help maintain even heat in the oven.
Wire Cooling Racks
Once the breads are out of the oven, they need to rest and cool. Place the hot breads on a wire rack to let the bread air properly.
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