Sourdough season is here - 9 must-have tools to start baking now
This is your knead to have list
Sourdough is to September what mince pies are to Christmas: a match made in heaven. You can bake sourdough at any time of year, as long as you have a good recipe, but early autumn is the sweet spot for beginners. The air is still warm enough to give your starter a healthy rise, without the sticky heat that sends it racing off like an over-excited puppy.
Now, with Bake Off back on our screens and a little chill creeping in to the mornings, there's never been a better time to get your hands doughy. But, before you start to knead, it's worth gathering a few baking essentials, because the perfect sourdough takes time, patience, and the right kit.
From starter houses to Nordic whisks, these are the little items that will give your loaf the edge and help you go from flat-out flop to crust-ing it. And when you want all the details on what they're doing in the Bake Off tent, you know where to find it.
9 Baking Essentials For Baking The Perfect Sourdough Loaf
This heritage piece of cast iron is my proof that Le Creuset is worth every penny. The domed lid traps moisture, keeping your crust soft and your dough full of spring. It's my favourite gem from Le Creuset.
Top tip: preheat the cast iron in the oven and bake with the lid on for the first half of your cooking time, then off for the second half for colour.
When you have your new sourdough starter (here's our recipe) this takes the guesswork out of feeding and maintenance. The bands lets you bark the level after each feed, so you can see how far your starter has risen and then the spatula wipes the sides clean, so you don't get any flour crusting on the sides.
Top tip: when your starter has roughly doubled and is domed on top, it's healthy and ready to use
A good scraper is an extension of your hand and whilst some bakers favour a metal one, this one comes with flexibility and a gentle curve to hug the edge of your bowl. It's brilliant for turning out sticky dough and for building surface tension when you shape your loaf.
Top tip: lightly wet the scraper before using it on very sticky dough and it will glide rather than grip
A Nordic whisk has open loops that move through thick, sticky dough without clogging like your spoon might - it also won't tire out your arm like a fork. It's a brilliant tool for mixing flour and water quickly and with fewer floury pockets.
Top tip: whisk your starter into the water first so that it dissolves before you add the flour to spread the starter through the dough
This is where your loaf takes its final rise. The cane wicks a little moisture away from the surface of the dough, so that it forms a skin that's easy to score. It gives your load its shape as well as pretty, concentric rings that look like they belong on bakery loaves. The 1kg size is perfect for a family loaf.
Top tip: dust it generously with rice flour, which doesn't absorb moisture like wheat flour and never wash it.
Scoring your loaf means that you get to choose where the dough expands, which means you need a razor-sharp blade to make clean cuts that will open out like proper "ears" in the oven. The wooden handle gives you great control over the scores that you make, meaning you can get creative with your sourdough patterns.
Top tip: chill your shaped dough in the fridge before scoring and use quick, decisive strokes at shallow angles for cleaner lines.
Sourdough is famous for keeping well, but it needs to be stored properly. Bread bags are a baker's dream gift, especially these where the lining protects the crumb from drying out, while the outer bag lets your loaf breathe enough to protect the crust. They're also a lovely way to gift a loaf.
Top top: let your loaf cool completely before bagging it, because trapped warmth and steam will turn the crust soggy
Starters can be temperamental, especially in a chilly kitchen, but this little appliance holds yours at whatever temperature you set. It has a range of 5–50°C so you can speed up or cool down fermentation, making it more forgiving and less high maintenance. It's brilliant for beginners.
Top tip: cooler temperatures give a milder, gentler load, while warmer ones will give the signature sourdough tang
Anyone who's ever tried to wash sticky dough of a sponge knows the pain (and how easily it will ruin your sponge). This soap-shaped silicone bar has soft nubs that lift dough from hands, bowls, and starter jars using only water.
Top tip: give the bar a 10-15 minute soak in water after using it so that any stuck-on dough softens, then rinse it off.
These nine essentials will make sure that your sourdough rises to the occasion, whether you're a baking beginner or seasoned sourdough hand. Ince you've caught the bug, you might find yourself eyeing up stand mixers, because these can take the elbow grease out of bigger batches. But the beauty of sourdough is that you can get started with some very simple accessories. So, dust off your banneton, feed your starter, and get your apron. It's time to get a slice of sourdough this September.
