Gear & Buying Guides

Bench Scrapers, Dough Whisk, and Mixing Bowls: The Everyday Tools That Make Sourdough Easier

· December 29, 2025
Bench Scrapers, Dough Whisk, and Mixing Bowls: The Everyday Tools That Make Sourdough Easier

There’s a particular strip of marble counter just past my stove — chipped at one corner from a dropped Dutch oven lid — and that’s exactly where I attempted my first hands-only transfer of a fully proofed loaf into the pot. No bench scraper, no dough whisk, just my palms and a stubborn confidence that … Read more

Digital Scales for Baking: Why Weight Matters More Than Cups and What to Buy

· December 27, 2025
Digital Scales for Baking: Why Weight Matters More Than Cups and What to Buy

Don’t trust your cup measurements — they’re quietly wrecking your sourdough. I learned this the hard way one afternoon when a loaf that should’ve turned out gorgeous came out of the oven dense and heavy, more like a brick than bread. The culprit? I’d jammed flour into the measuring cup while rushing, packing it down … Read more

Bread Lames and Scoring Tools: How the Right Blade Transforms Your Crust

· December 26, 2025
Bread Lames and Scoring Tools: How the Right Blade Transforms Your Crust

Pull up any early photo from my baking days and you’ll spot the same disaster every time: a crust split wide open along one side, a jagged blowout that has nothing to do with deliberate scoring. That picture is proof of exactly what happens when you try to score dough with a plain kitchen knife … Read more

Banneton Proofing Baskets: How to Use, Clean, and Choose the Right Size

· December 25, 2025
Banneton Proofing Baskets: How to Use, Clean, and Choose the Right Size

“Can’t you just use a bowl and a dish towel instead of buying some fancy basket?” That’s what my brother-in-law asked me years back, right before I proved myself spectacularly wrong. I’d shaped a loaf, nestled it into a flour-dusted towel sitting inside a mixing bowl, and gone to bed feeling smug about my setup. … Read more

The Ultimate Guide to Sourdough Proofing Baskets and Their Sizes

· December 2, 2025
Ancient Italian sourdough starter bubbling in traditional ceramic crock

My sister-in-law once held up her phone with a photo of a squashed, wide loaf and asked me point-blank: “Why does this look like a pancake when I followed every step?” Nine times out of ten, that question traces back to one culprit — the proofing basket, or banneton, wasn’t matched to the dough inside … Read more