Tara’s Bread Baking Supplies List

When you’re just starting out with bread baking—or even if you’re ready to level up your skills—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of tools and gadgets available. But here’s the good news: you don’t need a fancy kitchen stocked with every possible accessory to bake incredible bread. Sourdough is wonderfully simple at its core, and with just a few essentials, you can feel confident crafting satisfying loaves amongst the bustle of daily life.

That said, there’s also a joy in discovering tools that make the process smoother, more efficient, or just plain fun. Whether you’re working with what you have or looking to slowly build your collection, it’s all part of the journey. I break this supplies list down into two categories: the must-haves to get you started and the optional tools you can accumulate as you go. No matter where you are in your baking journey, these tips will help you set yourself up for success—and maybe even inspire a little extra excitement for your next bake.

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MUST HAVE / HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Kitchen Scale – Non-negotiable for consistent bakes and just an all-around great investment for any kitchen.

• I also love this Kitchenaid option with a smaller scale pad for measuring lighter ingredients like salt and yeast as well as your standard section.

Instant Thermometer – The ThermoPro Instant Read is a worthy investment for quick, reliable results for bread, meats, and more.

Bench Scraper – Because it’s important to cut, not tear, your dough. Comes with bonus bowl scraper too.

Shower Caps – Reusable bowl covers that keep your dough from developing a dry crust while cutting back on single-use plastic.

Loaf Pans Set (or splurge on loaf sized Dutch Oven) – My favorite vessel for baking sourdough, these pans hold up to the frequent use of our cottage bakery.

Kitchen Sink Drain Basket Strainer – Protect your plumbing from being plastered by starter or dough!

Oven Mitt Gloves – Keeps your hands and arms safe and dextrous while working with high oven temps.

Good Bread Knife or Bow Knife – These options work well in our kitchen for smoothly slicing through crusty bread.

Beeswax Bread Bags or Plastic Bread Bags – Your best storage solutions to keep your loaves fresh in our drier climate.

Danish Dough Whisk – Makes easier work of mixing your dough.

OPTIONAL TOOLS TO CONSIDER

Wide Silicone Brush – This one is the same width as a loaf pan and makes quick work of oiling your pans.

Binder Clips – Metal clips that can withstand the high oven temps sourdough require; holds your loaf lid securely.

Glass Mixing Bowls – Glass is best for monitoring your bulk ferment rise.

Flour Sack Towels – For covering loaves while cooling.

Mini Sieve – Great for dusting flour on loaves for fancier scoring.

How to repurpose stale bread

There’s nothing worse than good food turned bad. We try to minimize waste, but things happen! With a little forethought, you can save any scrap of leftover hand-made bread from landing in the trash.

Friday mornings are a great time to make a call on any remaining bread from a Sunday delivery. If you don’t have plans to enjoy it for lunch or dinner, here are my favorite ways to repurpose stale bread.

1: Save in freezer for breadcrumbs

This is your easy, hands-off, “get to it when there’s time” option. Tear stale bread into rough chunks and toss in a gallon zip-lock in your freezer. That’s it!

Add scraps to this bag until it’s full, then make a batch of breadcrumbs. Or do like me and start a second bag to deal with later (haha!)

To make bread crumbs, spread frozen chunks out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake on 300ºF, stirring every 15 minutes until dried through. Let cool then pulse dried bread pieces in a food processor until desired coarseness. Store these in a jar or zip-lock in the fridge or freezer (mine stay good in the freezer for months).

2. Save in fridge for brunch

If time allows, I highly recommend at least one yummy breakfast/brunch per weekend. Repurpose your bread into French toast or brunch bread pudding, sweet or savory varieties.

To avoid any surprise mold come Sunday morning, pop your leftover bread in the fridge. This will dry out a fresh loaf but helps keep it safe for the last day or two.

3. Fry up some croutons for dinner

If brunch isn’t your vibe, stale bread also makes great croutons for a dinner salad. The fridge is your friend with this option too, and here’s a yummy recipe to get you going.

Get ahead of stale bread by storing your bread with these tips in mind.

Storage tips to keep your bread fresh longer

If you’re making the switch from store-bought sandwich bread, you’re likely used to bread that seems invincible! I’m guilty of snagging a slice of toast from a loaf of Nature’s Own that’s a week past its expiration date.

But as you’re munching on that kinda dry and mostly flavor-less slice, you have to ask yourself what they put in that bread to make it stay “good” so long? Surely not ingredients that are actually good for you.

Enter homemade bread, good ingredients and nothing extra. Pantry staples transformed into joyful little moments strewn throughout your week. So worth it, but the fact of the matter is: homemade bread expires quicker than its store-bought cousin. In humid rooms or with enriched breads, you may see mold more quickly. In dryer climates or with sourdough boules, you’ll notice bread drying out.

While fresh is best, our small family is usually able to enjoy a bake clear through the week. Here are my top 3 tips for maximizing enjoyment of your bake.

1: Store in a cool cabinet, out of direct sunlight.

A cool, but not cold, dark pantry is your bread’s best friend. Direct sunlight can cause condensation in your bread bag, which encourages mold growth.

P.S. If you keep potatoes or onions in a countertop basket, consider moving them to your dark pantry as well. You’ll get weeks longer out of your root veggies!

2: Store in the bag it came in.

I’ve tried every storage container for my bakes, looking for the method that cuts down waste while keeping my bread fresh. As much as I hate to admit it, plastic bags with twist-ties really are the best I can offer you. Good alternates – if you have them – are beeswax wraps (wrapped tightly) or a bread box.

Contrary to what you might think, avoid airtight containers. Your bread needs to breathe, just a little.

3: Slice as you need it, from the middle of the loaf.

When ordering any loaf from Woodland Bake House, you can choose to have it sliced or unsliced. There are pros and cons to both options, depending on your preference and needs.

Unsliced loaves stay fresh longer as air come into contact with less of the delicate crumb. Think of how cakes dry out on the sliced edge. You will need a serrated bread knife and an extra 10 seconds each time, but this is my preferred method to get a full week of fresh toast and sandwiches out of my loaf.

Now, here’s the kicker – instead of starting your slices from one end, make your first cut right in the middle and start taking slices from each half. To store, press both halves back together in your bread bag and close tightly.

Another benefit of unsliced loaves is the option to customize your slice – thinner slices for sandwiches but chunky slices for avocado toast, for example.

Sliced is a great option for convenience, for anyone planning to use a full loaf quickly, or if you don’t have a serrated bread knife of your own. However, you can expect a sliced loaf to have a slightly shorter shelf life that unsliced loaves. To extend your sliced loaf, make sure all the slices are touching and close the bag tightly to hold them together.

4: Freeze slices to use as you need ‘em.

That’s right! Simply slice, toss on a cookie sheet in the freezer for 20-30 minutes, then pop your slices in a gallon freezer bag. Or layer in your gallon bag with pieces of wax paper between slices. They store well for up to about 6 months like this.

When you’re ready to enjoy, pull out your slices,a dn run for 1-2 cycles in your toaster on the lowest setting. Then prepare to your liking. It’s really that easy and tastes just like fresh from the oven!

All good things come to an end. As you’re saying TGIF, consider saving any leftovers as they are likely getting stale. There are plenty of easy and delicious ways to repurpose stale bread – here are my favorite ways to keep the goodness going.