Making bread is one of my favorite things! It is a labor of love and one hundred percent worth it.
Firstly, Sourdough is a commitment! I adore the whole process, so investing in the things that make it easier for me to make bread is well worth it. Many of these things are not necessary, but convenient. I've added links to individual items below and the last one is a link to a whole kit. That is what I first purchased, and have been very happy with everything that came inside.
Sourdough Links:
Weck jars for my sourdough start. This is a two pack, and I definitely recommend having two jars just in case something happens to one. It would be a sad, sad day to lose a start you've worked hard to maintain! I generally use one jar for feeding and one for discard.
Wooden spoons for mixing. I just prefer wood for mixing my sourdough, no scientific reason! Mine are actually from the cooking area at Harmons.
Baking pan. I use the Emil Henry Bread Cloche. I used to use a 7 1/4 La Cruset, but got this pan as a gift and love it. The high heat in the oven and all the flour takes its toll, and this pan is made for it! It's been great.
Large heavy bowl. It is much easier to mix in a heavy bowl. Once you get to the coil folds, it can be frustrating if the sticky dough lifts the bowl as you fold. I purchased this set a while ago and love it. I use the largest size if I am making my normal two-loaf recipe, and the medium bowl for one loaf.
Danish Wisk. Perfect to use the first two steps of sourdough making, but I actually use mine for cakes, brownies, whisking eggs... everything. And I think they are cute!
Scale. Any kitchen scale will do. Here is a link to one I like! It just needs to be big enough to hold the bowl you're using.
Bowl Scraper. This is not the same as a bench scraper. These are flexible and rounded on the edges and work perfectly for getting dough out of a bowl. I also use mine to knead occasionally.
Banneton or bread baskets. I have round and oval and love both. Personal preference here! It is also totally great to use a 10 inch bowl lined with a bread towel! You just dust it with flour, as you would a banneton.
Bread Lame. I have both the long handles lame and the small round, and i prefer the small one. I feel like I have better control.
Bench Scraper. Great for when you have literally anything on the counter, but most helpful for getting flour off. I use mine when I make cookies, pie crusts and bread.
Shower Caps for covering the bowls. Plastic wrap can also work, but the elastic around the shower caps make it so easy to use. I actually get mine at Sallys, a local beauty store. You can get them on Amazon, but they come in a pack of 100... which is not something I need.
Bread Bags. These are what I store my bread in. Gallon ziplock gabs won't fit a loaf of bread, so these work great. Plus they are much more affordable.
Bread Towels, or flour sack towels. My favorite for placing over bread while it rises. They are super light weight and easily cover a baking sheet.
Corn meal... very important for dusting under the sourdough. Flour doesn't cut it.
Sourdough Kit!!! This includes 2 bannetons, a danish whisk, a bread lame, a bench scraper, a bowl scraper, a nice mat for making any kind of dough and a duster for flour (the large paint brush looking thing). The only thing I do not use from this kit is the bread bag. I prefer to store mine in plastic to keep the loaves fresh longer.
Please note that if you know me, and live near me I would love to split my start for you! It is a split from my grandma's and it makes me so happy to share the sourdough experience with people. Ask away.