All the Baking Bread Tools You Need for Homemade Artisan Bread
Tips for selecting all the best baking bread tools you need for making perfect bread at home.Sometimes it gets a bit hard to choose among countless gadgets available today. I love them too much that I can’t help buying a new one every week. Over time, it turned into a habit but now I know which ones are the best. Check out my selective list as they are all my favorites.
Bread is only second to water when it comes to being the most consumed international food. This situation ignites manufacturers to develop a new tool every day. Most people eat bread 2-3 times a day. It is probably the mankind’s oldest baked item that is being enjoyed internationally by millions for thousands of years. Though the oldest written food recipe found was for making beer! It was 4,000 years ago in Babylon and supposedly sent in by a God (Sumerian god Enki). Apparently, beer was more important to Sumerians so they wrote down the recipe.
Bread making equipment you need:
- Spatula
- Scrapper
- Bread slasher for scoring
- Banneton bowls
- Kitchen stand mixer
- Baguette trays
- Serrated knife
- Bread slicer
- Dutch oven
- Bread machine
Here are my favorite tools for making home bread:
Bread baking is easy. If you are just starting out then check out my guide to baking bread for beginners to learn easy tips on bread baking.
Scrapper vs. Spatula or both?
You need a good dough scrapper to handle the bread dough especially if you are mostly using wet dough method. They are so sticky. Spatulas are great at folding the dough but a curved edge spatula is mandatory to shape right before the final proof. Small turns with the scrapper and I don’t even touch the wet dough. They are very useful during both bread and cake making. I like the Double Set Scrappers from Cosmos, just a great product for the price. Plus, they work as a great dough cutter.
- 【Material and size】Bench scraper for baking is made of food-grade PP...
- 【Function】Scraping, shoveling, chopped cream, cake, cheese, chocolate,...
- 【Easy to use】Non-sticky, you can use warm water or a dishwasher to...
- 【Durable】Will not rust or corrode; chemical resistant; will not scratch...
- 【EASY TO CLEAN】The dough scraper is easy to clean due to its non-stick...
Bread Slash for Scoring Bread
An essential tool for scoring your bread. If you are serious about your homemade bread than you definitely need one of these. There are some great ones available but my favorite is the Fancy Bread Lame made by Bread Bosses. It is so easy to decorate your bread with this one. It is extremely sharp and comes with 10 extra blades. All other similar items have three rings at the end of the handle. Bread dough gets in there and it is so hard to clean. This one is just great it does not have the rings and it never gets messy. The manufacturer also has a leather cover for protection. It makes nice clean cuts and your bread will look like it just came out of the best artisan bakery.
- Gifts For Bakers; Works Great Scoring Sourdough - Nice clean deep slices in...
- Gift Ideas For Bakers; Works Well & Easy To Use - Handle is shaped to fit...
- Beautifully Crafted & Well Made - Made of good quality wood and handle...
- Unlike Our Competitors - We do not have three rings at the end of our...
- 10 Blades, Wooden Storage Box, Blade Cover Included- Storage box makes it...
Banneton Bowls
You can never get enough of these cute banneton bowls. They are my favorite way to decorate and proof homemade bread. However, you should be careful when shopping for banneton bowls since some of them are made from cheap wood and it gets nasty over time. You don’t want to have wood shavings in your bread.
I tried many brands over the years but nothing beats the high quality Banneton Bowls from Bread Bosses. They are just perfect for any recipe and include small bread baking gifts. Produced according to German food standards; these bowls are sturdy and durable.
- Gifts For Bakers; Perfect For Any Recipe Holds 1.5 pounds of dough with 9...
- Gift Ideas For Bakers; Natural Rattan Cane Material sourdough bread...
- Well Made And Sturdy Banneton basket ridges/depth produces spiral ring...
- Very Affordable These bread making tools will score you more boules of this...
- Healthy Bread brotform proofing bowls complies with German Food Safe so you...
Kitchen Stand Mixer
I like kneading dough by hand but do not always have the time and energy. A kitchen stand mixer becomes handy when you want to bake but feeling tired. The dough hook is as good as your hands. Plus, if you are making bread then you are probably making home cake too! And that means you need a kitchen stand mixer anyway.
I have had too many KitchenAid mixers in the past. But Albohes Stand Mixer works better for me. This one has a lid on top which is perfect. It comes with double dough hooks. The speed button is easy to use (6 -speed) and comes with 6 different speed options. This mixer is so silent that you can make a cake at late hours only to yourself while everyone’s sleeping. Though, they might wake up to the smell later on while it is in the oven!
- Over 10 colors available
- Multipurpose attachment hub, over 15 optional attachments
- 6-Qt. Stainless Steel Bowl with Comfortable Handle
- 67-Point Planetary Mixing Action and it offers the capacity to make up to...
- Includes burnished Powerknead spiral dough hook, burnished flat beater,...
Baguette Trays to Make You Feel Like You Are in Paris
You need special equipment for some bread types. Baguette is one of them. This unique bread has an oblong shape and the bottom part is round. You can’t make baguettes with straight trays so it is a necessity.
One thing I don’t like about bread trays in general is that it’s too hard to clean them. I use a silicon baguette tray (buy it on amazon) just for that reason. It is perforated so the air flow is perfect. And the best part is that it is super lightweight. Silicone trays are very durable since it is hard to break them. No dusting necessary because of the non-stick coating and they are all dishwasher safe. Make sure you check if it is BPA free when buying any silicone utensil.
If you are looking for a fancy baguette tray then I have one that you can’t resist. This is a dream come true product made by Emile Henry Baguette Tray. A baguette tray with a lid! It is almost like a Dutch oven. You no longer have to worry about steaming. A bit pricey compared to silicone trays but all worth it.
- MADE IN FRANCE. Made of all natural materials and manufactured using Emile...
- GREAT SHAPE. Easy to use, the holes in the base and lid help the dough to...
- WILL NOT STICK. Thanks to the ribs, the dough will not stick, and the lid...
- GREAT CRUST. The holes in the lid help creating a thin, crispy crust so...
- 10 YEAR GUARANTEE. 10 YEAR warranty against manufacturing defects when used...
Serrated Bread Knife
You can’t slice bread neatly with a regular knife. A serrated knife is a special tool designed just for that purpose. The sawtooth design at the edge bites into the crust of the bread perfectly. You can make smooth slices without even pressuring.
It is better to get a long one since you are probably going to use this with a bread slicer. My suggestion is the wonderful 9-inch serrated bread knife from Dalstrong. It is Japanese! Like all Japanese high carbon knives, it has an extremely sharp knife. The serration is magnificent, almost unbelievable. You can put this on the wall like a Samurai sword just to display, it is that beautiful. Handle has an incredible grip with exceptional durability. It comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
This is full tang, and you should not get a bread knife if it does not have this feature. Knives that are not full tang are so hard to handle and won’t last much.
- Powerhouse Knife. Masterfully elegant, perfectly balanced, razor sharp and...
- Peak Performance: Mercilessly sharp, the Phantom Series edge is...
- The Dalstrong Touch: Full tang and precision forged from a single piece of...
- Design Perfection: A velvety rich black Spanish pakkawood handle is hand...
- Dalstrong Trust: Rocksolid 100% SATISFACTION OR MONEY BACK GUARANTEE, try...
Bread Slicer
This one goes with the serrated knife. It is never a good idea to slice your bread on a wood cutting board. Bread slicers have guides installed on them which makes cutting the bread so efficient and easy. The best one in the market is the Bamboo Bread Slicer from Bambusi.
It is foldable so you can store it in the drawer when not in use. There is a crumb tray underneath which makes it so easy to clean and care. You can slice, bread, bagels, and cake with this.
Comes with different size guides so you can adjust the slice thickness unlike other models. It is better priced than its rivals and has many unique features like the rubber pad underneath to prevent slipping.
- EASY TO USE SLICING GUIDE: The bamboo bread slicer ends your frustration of...
- 3 SLICE SIZE OPTIONS: The guides get progressively thicker to allow you to...
- KNIFE INCLUDED: A long, serrated, stainless steel knife is at the side. It...
- EASY TO CLEAN: The bread slicer guide is easy to use and easy to clean....
- CRUMB TRAY: The wooden bread slicer works well. It’ll help you cut even...
Make Artisan Bread Effortlessly with A Dutch Oven
Golden crust is made by applying steam while baking the bread in the oven. This is a bit hard to accomplish if you don’t have a Dutch oven or similar. You either have to melt ice cubes on a tray or spray the bread dough with water right before you put it in the oven. Both methods are weak and will not result a bakery quality bread at home.
Conversely, you can create perfect steam if you bake your bread in a Dutch oven. The lid of the Dutch oven is very heavy, and this creates the perfect environment. Bread is baked in a much smaller area when compared with a regular conventional oven. Your dough releases air while it’s getting baked and this creates steam. However, it is trapped inside the Dutch oven since its lid is very heavy. The end result is a crispy crust bread with a soft interior.
Dutch ovens are versatile and they can cook many different foods. But this Dutch Oven from Emile Henry is made especially for bread baking. It has a unique design. Unlike other Dutch ovens, this one is dishwasher safe. It comes with a recipe book and you won’t be able stop baking bread with this.
- Specially designed covered baker helps you make bakery-worthy, artisan...
- The domed lid and ceramic walls trap steam to create a Dry, crackling...
- The ridges on the bottom prevent the dough from sticking. The handles on...
- The base Fits neatly inside the lid for more compact storage
- Dishwasher safe. 10 year . Recipe book included.
Bread Machine
This is a completely different route but a very nice one. You don’t need a Dutch oven or a baking tray when you have a bread machine. To be honest; you don’t really do any baking when you make bread with this but you still get wonderful homemade bread. All you have to do is to throw the ingredients inside the pan and you are done.
A great solution if you don’t have much time in the kitchen. Get the best bread machine from KBS if you are going to get one (click here to go to Amazon). It is controlled by a microcomputer and has all the advanced features you would expect from a bread machine and go beyond that. The bread pan is non-stick and made out of ceramic.
You are going to love the automatic fruit and nuts dispenser; it is so smart. All materials used on this item is 100% food grade.
- 【17 Multifunctional Customized Automatic Programs & 2LB Large...
- 【710W Powerful Motor & Unique Non-stick Ceramic Pan】710W high power...
- 【Intelligent Fruit and Nut Dispenser & 15H Timer & 1H Automatic...
- 【Intuitive Digital Touch Panel Control & Sleek Stainless Steel Shell &...
- 【Superior Humanized Design & Practical Accessories/Recipes...
Silpat Silicone Mat
The silicone baking mat from Silpat is a multipurpose baking tool and a must-have for any kitchen enthusiast. No more parchment paper, you do not have to go to that aisle at the store anymore. These silicone dreams are made out of fiberglass mesh and bake extremely evenly. It is even safe to use them in the freezer (Suggested temperature use -40°F to 482°F). Put anything you want on them food wise and they will come out so effortlessly after baking.
- Turn any pan into a non-stick surface and save time cleaning up
- Made of fiberglass mesh and the highest quality food grade silicone, which...
- Silpat is the original non-stick baking mat and has stood the test of time...
- Mat measures 11-5/8" x 16-1/2", made for a 13" x 18" pan
- Freezer, microwave, and oven-safe, can be used at temperatures varying from...
In Conclusion
Magic happens when you combine water, flour, yeast and salt. Bread baking is more than cooking. However, selecting the right tools for this lovely tradition is a tricky business. It gets difficult to decide and compare since there are too many options. And if you are a novice baker then you can’t know all the features you might need. The good news is that once you get experienced with the brands and models over time, it is easy to spot the best ones.
