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Essential Bread Making Tools & Baking Equipment

This page lists the essential bread making equipment & baking tools that people need in order to make great tasting homemade bread, banana breads, etc. If you are looking for baking & bread making “ingredients” such as yeast, spices & flour, please visit Bread Dad’s Recipe Ingredients.

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Cookbooks

Essential Bread Making Tools

  • Aprons – A classic baking “tool” for keeping your clothes clean when in the kitchen.
  • Aprons for Children – In case, you have any messy little helpers!
  • Baking Sheets – Baking sheets can be used for making French bread, artisan bread, etc. They are also great for cookie recipes. 🙂
  • Baking Mats – Baking mats are a nonstick baking surface used with baking sheets, cookie sheets, roasting pans, etc. Improves cleaning, etc.
  • Bread Bags – Bread bags tend to be a more “natural” way to store your bread (when compared to plastic bags).
  • Bread Baskets
  • Bread Boxes – Bread boxes help for short-term storage of homemade bread. However, for long-term storage, you should freeze your bread.
  • Bread Knives – Bread knives are useful for easily cutting bread slices for sandwiches, breakfast toast, etc.
  • Bread Machines – Bread machines simplify bread making at home because you do not have to knead the bread, use an oven, etc. You can also use bread machines to make banana bread, pizza dough, etc.
  • Bread Making Kits – These specialized kits come with many of the tools needed to make sourdough bread, baguettes, etc.
  • Bread Pans – Bread pans are essential bread making tools for oven-baked breads, banana breads, etc.
  • Bread Slicers – If you want to make perfect bread slices (not too wide or too thin) when cutting up your homemade bread… then you should try a bread slicer. It is an interesting cutting “tool”.
  • Cast Iron Bread Pans & Pots – An old fashioned way to make great bread.
  • Cooling Racks – You need to place your hot finished bread on cooling racks in order to “cool down” and let moisture escape from the bread. Otherwise, your bread will have a soggy bottom. This is another essential bread making tool for a beginner bread maker.
  • Cutting Boards – Cutting boards allow you to cut your bread without damaging the underlying table or counter. Personally, I like to use wood cutting boards versus plastic cutting boards.
  • Dough Hooks – Dough hooks turn electric stand mixers into fantastic kneading machines. Great for making homemade bread. Just make sure that you buy a dough hook that will fit your electric mixer!
  • Dough Mixers – Some people like to use just a dough mixer in order to create the perfect dough. Dough mixers save you the work of mixing & kneading the recipe ingredients.
  • Dough Scrapers – Dough scrapers are tools used to scrape the bread dough off a kitchen surface (i.e. cutting board or counter top) and to slice the dough.
  • French Bread Pans (Baguette Pans) – This baking tool helps you to make nice round French bread loaves (baguettes).
  • Ingredient Storage Containers – These containers help you to store your flour & sugar and to reduce potential contamination from insects, moisture, dust, etc.
  • Kneading Machines – If you want to make more exotic shaped bread… okay non-block shaped bread :), you can use your hands or a kneading machine in order to knead your bread dough before you bake it in your oven. You can also use most bread machines in order to knead bread dough.
  • Loaf Liners – Think of these as muffin liners but for bread. They make lifting baked goods out of a bread pan much easier (esp. for “sticky” things such as chocolate chip banana bread). They reduce the chance that the baked good will get stuck to the bottom of the bread pan.
  • Measuring Cups – Accurate bread measuring tools (i.e. cups & spoons) makes for better breads. Just winging the measurements results in more bread failures (i.e. bread craters).
  • Measuring Spoons – These spoons will help you to follow the recipe by giving you the exact measurements for teaspoons, tablespoons, etc. This is essential bread making equipment for a beginner bread maker.
  • Mixers (Electric Hand Mixers) – Mixers will help you to make better cookies, cakes, etc. They ensure that everything is mixed properly and you don’t find any unwanted flour or baking soda “clumps”. You also get “creamier” cookie doughs, etc.
  • Mixers (Electric Stand Mixers) – Electric stand mixers are often used when making larger batches of bread dough, cookie batter, etc.
  • Mixing Bowls – Usually you just add of the ingredients to the bread machine and it does all of the work mixing the ingredients. However, occasionally you will need large mixing bowls if you are transferring the dough to the oven (i.e. you want to create a loaf without the bread machine mixer “hole”).
  • Oven Mitts – You need good oven mitts because the bread machine “bucket” is extremely hot when you take the finished bread out of the bread machine. Good oven mitts are one of the essential kitchen items and bread making tools.
  • Oven Thermometers – Oven thermometers are used to ensure that your oven has reached the right temperature called for a recipe.
  • Parchment Paper – Baking parchment paper reduces the need to grease the bottom of bread pans, cookie sheets, etc. They help you to lift out baked goods with less potential damage. You might also want to look at related items such as paper muffin cups.
  • Pastry Brushes – Pastry brushes are used for coating your bread dough with olive oil, butter, etc.
  • Recipe Books – Beginning bakers should own some good bread making books in order to learn how to make basic homemade breads such as white bread, whole wheat bread, oatmeal bread, etc. These popular cookbooks have tons of great pictures and easy instructions.
  • Reusable Grocery Bags – Bags to take to the grocery store on your next trip for baking supplies.
  • Rolling Pins – Rolling pins help to “roll out” dough in order to make pie crusts, pastries, pizzas, etc.
  • Scales – Food scales allow for exact measurement of ingredients.
  • Scoring Knives – If you want to “score” your bread (cut the top of the dough in order to prevent cracks during the baking process  or to add interesting designs to the top of your bread), you should use a sharp knife or professional bread scoring tool (bread lame).
  • Sourdough Kits – These kits have many of the things needed to make great sourdough bread.
  • Spatulas (Silicone) – You will need flexible spatulas to occasionally clean off the mixture from the sides of the bread loaf pan during the bread machine mixing stages. You will need flexible spatulas (i.e. silicone) so they do not scratch the interior of the bread pan. This is essential bread making equipment for a beginner bread maker.
  • Spice Racks – Variety is the “spice” of life. These spice racks will help you to efficiently store a wide range of spices (i.e. cinnamon, rosemary, onion powder and Italian herbs) that you can use to create different tasting breads (i.e. Italian herb bread).
  • Square Glass Baking Pan – Square pans are great for baking quick bread recipes such as cornbread.
  • Timers – These essential baking tools are large kitchen “alarm clocks” that help to warn you when to remove the bread from the oven, ensure the proper time has passed for the dough rising, etc. Much better than using your dough covered hands to mess with the timer on your phone!
  • Toothpick Test/Wooden Skewers – I like to use long wooden skewers when doing the classic “toothpick” test to see if a banana bread is completely baked. I find regular toothpicks too short especially with bread machines.
  • Vegetable Choppers & Dicers – These tools help to slice & dice vegetables. Useful for things such as dicing jalapenos for a jalapeno cornbread recipe.
  • Whisks – Whisks are used for creating whipped products such as whipped cream. Whipped cream is a great topping for many baked goods. You can also buy whisk attachments for electric mixers.
  • Wooden Spoons – I like to use a large wooden spoon for stirring dough & batter.

Related Baking Tools

  • Cake Pans & Shapers – These pans & shapers will help to you to make traditional round cakes or fun holiday cake shapes (i.e. Christmas tree cakes).
  • Cookie Cutters – Have fun with your kids and make your cookies into unusual shapes (i.e. dinosaurs or Christmas trees).
  • Cookie Dough Scoops – These scoops help you to make cookie dough “balls” so all of your baked cookies come out the right size.
  • Hand Mixers – Great for mixing quickly and consistently. Perfect for making creamier cookies.
  • Muffin Baking Trays – Great for banana bread muffins, etc.
  • Muffin Paper Baking Cups & Liners – Paper baking cups & liners help you to easily remove muffins from muffin trays (with less “breakage”).
  • Pizza Paddles – Move your homemade pizza around with pizza paddles (large spatulas).
  • Pizza Pans – Bake your homemade pizza easily in a round pizza pan.
  • Pizza Wheel Cutters – Slice up your homemade pizza with pizza wheel cutters.

Other Useful Kitchen Items

  • Breakfast Sandwich Makers – These appliances help you to easily make things such as egg & sausage breakfast sandwiches.
  • Burger Makers – These tools help you to make the perfect burger at home.
  • Coffee Makers – I like to have toasted homemade bread with some homemade coffee in the morning.
  • Convection Ovens – Convections ovens are great for small kitchens.
  • Deep Fryers – Deep fryers can be used for fried goods such as donuts or French fries.
  • Donut Makers – Make your own delicious homemade donuts.
  • Food Processors – These are great for chopping up ingredients for your baked goods.
  • Ice Cream Makers – You can’t have your cookies without some delicious homemade ice cream!
  • Indoor Grills – Grill up some meat in order to make delicious homemade sandwiches.
  • Microwaves – Microwaves are essential warming devices for all kitchens.
  • Panini Grills – If you want to make hot & toasty sandwiches, panini grills are a great addition to your kitchen. Panini grills are also known as panini presses.
  • Pizza Ovens – Specialized ovens used to easily bake the perfect pizza at home.
  • Rice Cookers
  • Slow Cookers – These appliances are perfect for stews, chilis, etc.
  • Toasters – Toasted bread makes a delicious & warm sandwich!
  • Toaster Ovens – Toaster ovens are great at baking or warming smaller items versus using a huge & expensive oven.
  • Waffle Makers
  • Warming Trays – Keep your amazing culinary creations warm by placing them on a warming tray as you serve a large dinner or buffet.

Other Popular & Highly Rated Recipe Books

Reference Sources