Bread Making Tools & Equipment

This page lists the essential bread making tools & equipment that people need to make homemade bread, banana bread, sourdough, etc. It covers tools such as baguette pans, bread slicers, scoring knives (lames), bread thermometers & much more.

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List of Essential Bread Making & Baking Tools

Airtight Ingredient Containers – Airtight containers are designed to protect your recipe ingredients from pests, moisture, dust, etc. Flour & sugar (kept in non-airtight containers & open bags) can pick up lots of moisture from the air and this excess moisture can throw off recipes. Some people like to use plastic airtight containers because they are generally less expensive and lighter than glass & metal containers. Others like to use glass airtight containers in order to avoid microplastics & to reduce any potential chemical leaching by plastics. Whereas, others like to use metal airtight containers for their durability.
Bagel “Skimmer” Spoons (or Slotted Spoons) – This utensil allows you to remove your homemade bagels from boiling water. It has many holes or slots to drain off the water before moving the bagels to a cooling rack. I prefer these spoons to have a large head and long handle.
Baguette Pans – Baguette pans are used to create better shaped baguettes. They enable the baguettes to remain in a nice round shape while baking (versus ending up with flat bottoms if you use just a flat baking sheet).
Baking Mats – Baking mats are large nonstick baking “pads” used for rolling out dough, etc. They give you more room to “operate” versus smaller cutting boards. Also since they are usually nonstick, baking mats also help to improve clean ups.
Baking 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 from the bread pan with less potential damage & less sticking. Baking parchment paper is a specially designed paper that can handle the heat of ovens. It is not regular paper!
Baking Trays/Sheets – Baking sheets are used for baking cookies, French bread, artisan bread, etc.
Bread Bags – Bread bags are used to store bread and protect bread from dust, moisture, etc.
Bread Baskets – Serve your delicious creations in an attractive bread basket.
Bread Boxes – Bread boxes help with short-term storage of homemade bread. Helps protect against dust, pests, etc. However, for long-term storage, you should freeze your bread.
Bread Containers – These are generally plastic airtight containers used to keep bread fresh. They are used to store loaves, etc.
Bread Knives – Bread knives are useful for easily cutting bread slices for sandwiches, breakfast toast, etc. IMO – Best are the bread knives with serrated edges.
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 Machine Cookbooks – These popular books help home bakers to make great breads & baked goods with their bread machines. Good cookbooks are an essential tool for home bakers.
Bread Machine Yeast – Bread machine yeast is an instant yeast specifically designed for use in bread machines. It does not have to be preactivated in liquid. It is NOT active dry yeast (which needs to be preactivated before use in a recipe).
Bread Making Books – These instructional books teach people how to make a huge variety of breads such as artisan bread, sourdough bread, international breads, etc. They look at how to knead bread, how to shape loaves, etc.
Bread Pans (8.5″ by 4.5″) – 8.5 by 4.5 inch bread pans are often used for making smaller sandwich-type bread loaves (i.e. white bread) in the oven. Always check a recipe’s equipment section in order to determine the appropriate sized bread pan to use for that specific recipe.
Bread Pans (9″ by 5″) – 9 by 5 inch bread pans are used for making sandwich bread as well as “quick breads” (such as banana bread). Always check a recipe’s equipment section in order to determine the appropriate sized bread pan to use for that specific recipe.
Bread Proofing Baskets – Bread proofing baskets help to shape your bread.
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. This kitchen tool helps to create uniform-sized bread slices. This tool has been purchased by a number of Bread Dad visitors.
Bread Thermometers – These digital tools allow you to measure the internal temperature of your baked bread & baked goods. They help to tell if the bread has been baked enough & this can save you from undercooked bread interiors. These tools are often called “meat thermometers” but they are also used for baking, etc.
Cast Iron Bread Pans & Pots – An old fashioned way to make great bread. They help to steam the outside of the bread. This results in more artisan-like crusts.
Ceramic Bread Bakers – These ceramic “bread bakers” trap the steam produced by the bread dough as it bakes in an oven. This helps to create artisan-type breads with a soft & moist interior and rustic & crispy crusts.
Couche (Proofing Cloth) – This tool is used to proof dough. It is generally used to make long narrow breads (i.e. baguettes).
Cutting Boards – Cutting boards allow you to cut your bread without damaging the underlying table or counter. You can use wood cutting boards or plastic cutting boards.
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 countertop) and to slice the dough.
Dough Whisks – Dough whisks help you to mix flour & water together before you start kneading. Specially designed for bread dough. Also known as a Danish dough whisk or Danish whisk.
Dutch Ovens – Dutch ovens are often used by bakers because they offer an environment where the dough is steamed as it bakes. This results in an improved bread crust.
Electric Stand Mixers – These appliances are used to mix & knead bread dough, create large batches of cookie dough, etc.
Flour Sifters – Flour sifters help to strain out flour clumps. Helps to prevent finding white flour “lumps” inside your banana bread, pumpkin bread, etc. They are also used to sift sugar, etc.
Graters – Shredded vegetables, cheese, etc. are used as ingredients in some recipes. For example, we use a grater to shred the zucchini used in my Bread Machine Zucchini Bread recipe.
Hamburger & Hotdog Bun Molds – These tools help you to “mold” uniform-shaped buns (i.e. perfectly round hamburger buns). FYI – Many of these molds look like muffin trays or mini baguette trays.
Italian Bread Pans – Similar to baguette pans, Italian bread pans help to create round Italian bread loaves.
Kitchen Scales – Many Europeans use kitchen scales in order to accurately measure ingredients. This results in less ingredient “measuring” errors and thus fewer bread & baking failures.
Lames – A lame is a professional tool used to “score” the tops of breads in order to help prevent uncontrolled cracks in the crust.
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) make for better breads. Just winging the measurements (i.e. eyeballing the measurements) will result in more bread failures (i.e. bread collapses).
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.
Mini Loaf Pans – These baking pans allow you to make a number of smaller banana bread loaves (or other “quick breads” such as cornbread or pumpkin bread) versus a regular-sized loaf. This is a fun way to make individual loaves for your family versus just cutting slices from a larger banana bread loaf. Many people like to give mini banana breads as homemade gifts.
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 – Large mixing bowls are used when mixing together the ingredients for homemade bread, cookies, etc. Large capacity bowls mean less mess (i.e. less flour flying over the edges when stirring) and/or larger batches of dough, batter, etc.
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 been preheated to the right temperature called for a recipe. Moreover, many ovens are off by 20-50 degrees F and this can result in over & undercooked baking. An oven thermometer helps you to determine & adjust your oven’s actual temperature in order to meet the recipe’s requirements.
Panini Presses – These are tools that you can use to turn your homemade bread into hot & toasty paninis and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Pastry Brushes – Pastry brushes (or basting brushes) are used for coating your bread dough with olive oil, melted butter, an egg wash, etc.
Pullman Pans – Pullman pans (with lids) make bakers to make perfectly rectangular loaves (with no mushroom tops). This helps to create more uniform bread slices. Some of my visitors really like to use this type of bread pan!
Pyrex Measuring Cups – I like to use these cups to measure liquids because you can “see” the liquid level through the transparent Pyrex. They are very useful when a recipe requires fractional measurements (i.e. 1 1/8 cups of milk).
Rolling Pins – Rolling pins help to “roll out” dough in order to make pie crusts, pastries, pizzas, etc.
Sandwich & Panini Cookbooks – These recipe books give ideas on how to turn your homemade bread into delicious sandwiches & hot paninis.
Scales – Food scales allow for exact measurement of ingredients. Scales tend to be used more in Europe (for more accurate measurements) versus cup and spoon measurements in the USA.
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).
Serrated Bread Knives – These knives help to cut the bread into perfect slices versus non-serrated knives that can crush or squeeze the bread loaf while cutting.
Sourdough Cookbooks – These books teach you how to make great sourdough bread.
Sourdough Kits – These kits have many of the things needed to make great sourdough bread.
Sourdough Warmers – These are tools that keep your sourdough starter “warm”. They are essentially heating pads or devices that provide a consistent heat in order to help the sourdough starter to grow. FYI – Cold temperatures can inhibit the growth of your sourdough starter. This is especially a problem in cool winter kitchens.
Sourdough Starter – You can not make delicious sourdough bread without a sourdough starter. Sourdough starter is a combination of yeast & bacteria that is used to flavor & leaven sourdough bread. You can buy powdered dry starters and/or live sourdough starters.
Sourdough Starter Jars – These jars & containers help you to monitor the growth of your sourdough starter.
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.
Spatulas (Extra Wide) – I like to use extra wide non-scratch spatulas to move my grilled cheese sandwiches & paninis to and from the griddle or panini machine. The extra width helps to prevent the sandwich from falling part when being moved.
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 are too short especially when dealing with bread machine bread pans.
Vital Wheat Gluten – Many people like to add vital wheat gluten to improve a bread’s “rise” when making lower gluten breads (such as 100% whole wheat bread).
Whisks – Whisks are used for creating whipped cream, glazes, frostings, etc. You can also buy whisk attachments for electric mixers.
Wire Cooling Racks – You need to place your hot finished bread on wire 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.
Wooden Spoons – I like to use large wooden spoons to stir dough & batter.

Video – Why Bread Dad LOVES Bread Machines! 19 Reasons

Reference Sources

Wikipedia, Baking
Wikipedia, Bread
Wikipedia, Bread Machine
Wikipedia, Cookware and Bakeware