Through the Wildwood

Slow Living Through the Seasons

  • Sourdough
    • All Sourdough Recipes
    • Sourdough Discard Recipes
  • Seasonal Living
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Slow Kitchen
  • The Cottage Apothecary
  • About

January 6, 2024

Sourdough Baking Supplies for Bread Success

Sourdough Baking Supplies

Making sourdough is both an art and a science. It requires knowledge, patience, and skill. That being said, anyone can begin with a few basic supplies and ingredients. This list of sourdough baking supplies covers the basics of what you will need to get started, not the fancy equipment you see in baking videos. That kind of equipment is wonderful and can sometimes make the process faster or easier (like a stand mixer), but isn’t necessary is you’re just starting out!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can view my Privacy Policy Here.

Sourdough Baking Supplies:

Before you preheat your oven, you will need to gather a couple of things to begin. There are many additional sourdough baking supplies for when you’re ready for all the bells and whistles (I’ll do another post later on my recommendations), but here is a list of the absolute basics you will need to get started:

Measuring tools

An inexpensive kitchen scale is a non-negotiable for sourdough.

A large fermentation crock or bowl with lid

I use a fermentation crock or a kitchen aid bowl with lid for resting dough when proving and fermenting

A Banneton Basket

A banneton basket is a traditional sourdough proving basket used to rest your bread in. When you’re just getting started, you can use a flour lined tea towel in a bowl as an alternative.

A Baker

Finally, and most importantly, you will need something with a lid to bake in. I would recommend one of three options:

  1. Cast Iron deep Skillet with Lid
    • This is a very accessible option for most people because cast irons are common and fairly inexpensive. 
  2. Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven
    • This is my favorite method for baking sourdough! A dutch oven is also a versatile pot to have in your kitchen for soups, stews, roasts, and more.
  3. Cloche Bread Baker
    • This was my first baker before I leveled up to my Le Creuset and I absolutely loved it! These range in price, but are usually less than $50. The one downside of this baker is that it is not a versatile tool. Unlike the previous two options, a clay baker can only be used for bread in your kitchen. If you are running low on space or do not want to commit to homemade bread yet, I would start with a baker that can serve other purposes in your kitchen as well. 

That being said, I’ve used all three of these methods and love each, so it comes down to which is already in your kitchen and how much money you want to spend. 


Ingredients for baking sourdough

Because we use so few ingredients when making sourdough, the quality of those ingredients matter greatly when it comes to the flavor and nutrition of the bread.

Organic, Unbleached Bread Flour

I always buy bread flour that is unbleached and has not been sprayed with any pesticides (organic) or I mill my own.

Filtered Water

Never use unfiltered water when making sourdough as it can interfere with the fermentation process. The British Berkefeld is my favorite water filter because it is third party certified, uses natural ceramic filters, and filters out heavy metals, fluoride, pharmaceuticals, and more.

Salt

I always use natural mineral salt.

Starter

An active, healthy starter is the most essential of the sourdough baking supplies. This is the foundation of your bread and must be taken care of to see excellent results. The rumors are true, a starter is alive and will need regular tending, similar to a pet fish! 

How to find a sourdough starter:

  • Make your own
    • You can actually harvest naturally occurring bacteria by mixing flour and water over the course of many days. (will insert a link of how to do it here) This will take about a week and will require some patience and attention, but is a great option if you want something free and are willing to wait.
  • Grab one from your local bakery
    • This is how I found mine. Usually, local bakeries will share a small amount of starter for free if you ask them (and maybe also politely purchase a coffee or pastry to go with it). 
  • Buy one
    • There are dehydrated starters available online in many places, follow the instructions for a bubbling starter in no time. 

Posted In: Sourdough

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Copyright © 2025 Through the Wildwood · Theme by 17th Avenue

Do you Accept Cookies
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT