Once home, it is almost time to bake. Be warned, after the aroma has filled your home, and you have enjoyed your own home-baked sourdough, it can very quickly become a passion.
Bootstrapped:
- a sterilised “starter” jar (straight-sided / wide-mouthed)
- two elastic bands (helpful)
- any mixing bowl (large enough to get your hands in)
- mixing tool: wooden spoon, chopstick or spurtle
- a clean tea towel to cover your dough (or a plaster shower cap)
- £6-10 – a large digital kitchen scales – largest / long enough to be able to see the weight reading when a large mixing bowl is sitting upon them
Wish list:
- £5 – a large mixing bowl, large enough to get your hands in
- £2-20 – a large dough scraper, larger than you thought, as you will probably end up baking larger sourdough loaves
- £15-20 – a banneton in which to prove your dough (a shape and size that fits inside your Dutch oven)
- £5 – lame or scoring knife for scoring the sourdough
- £3-5 – a water spritzer
- £10 – sourdough loaf bag for when you “bake one, gift one.”
- £3-4 – air tight containers, eg for flour and your 50:50 ‘starter’ flour mix
- £5 – 50g scope for starter measures
Optional
- A Dutch oven or casserole dish (a shape, size that fits your banneton, and don’t forget the weight)
- a way to take the temperature of your sourdough
- £1.85 per kg (or £26.50 for 25k) organic flour
- £3-5 – fantastic artisan salt
- £1 per strip – temperature sticker for your starter jar
- dough fork – to burst any unwanted surface bubbles
- a beautiful chopping board to present your sourdough
- a robust bread knife (the dark, caramel crusts requires a ‘robust’ bread knife)
Organic bread flour may be best for your starter and organic bread flour or bread flour (12% protein) for your sourdough