bread making equipment

I used to have a slight addiction to kitchen ware shops, so I know how hard it can be to resist the latest baking gadget.

But these days I try and keep my kitchen purchases to a minimum.

Here are the items you really need in a good bread baking home kitchen.

scales

Digital scales are so inexpensive these days and make baking so much easier, I can recommend enough that you invest in a set. Weighing out only takes seconds and is so much more reliable than scooping into cups.

If you really don’t want to invest, I’m afraid all my recipes are based on weight but you can use the converter over here, if you must use cups.

a large cast iron pot

To overcome the limitations of a home oven not getting super hot or having steam injection, a cast iron pot works wonders.

By preheating the pot for at least 30 minutes the temperature inside is just what we want.

Baking the bread initially with the lid on traps in the steam, allowing your loaf to expand to its full potential without prematurely drying out and forming a crust. The last stage of baking with the lid off exposes the bread to the air and allows the final browning, just like a commercial bakery.

If you’re lucky enough to own a lovely Le Creuset pot like I do, I must warn you that using your pot to bake bread like this isn’t the greatest for the enamel lining. But I’m happy to sacrifice my pot for amazing bread.

If you can’t afford a cast iron pot, a large saucepan with a lid will have to do. I found baking in a saucepan, the temperature didn’t get as hot and my bread tended to be doughy and under-baked inside. To overcome this just bake for longer with the lid on. It took me an extra 15 minutes to get my bread baked sufficiently in a regular saucepan as opposed to my cast iron pot.

cooling rack

It’s important to allow your bread to cool properly because it’s still cooking as it cools down. A rack isn’t critical but it does stop the bread sweating on the bottom and ruining your lovely bottom crust.

pizza stone

If you have any plans to make pizza or flat bread, I highly recommend picking up a pizza stone.

After years of experimentation, I’ve discovered that the closest you can get to authentic Napolese thin crust pizza is to place your baking stone on the floor of your oven and crank the temperature right up.

If you don’t make pizza enough to justify a pizza stone, a baking tray will be OK.

timer

I just use the timer on my phone, but I would be hopelessly lost without it. I have a tendency to put things in the oven then get side tracked doing other important things like Tweeting or reading my favourite blogs.

back to Simple Breadmaking at Home Overview