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Home bread baking, made simple

Bake bread you're proud to slice.

Clear, honest guides to the Dutch ovens, bannetons, mixers and scales that actually make a difference. Fewer bricks, more crackly crusts, and a kitchen that smells like a bakery.

Find the right gear Start a sourdough starter

Holiday gift season

Gifts bread bakers use every single week

Dutch ovens, proofers, lames and beginner kits they'll be excited to unwrap and bake with.

See the gift guide
Lodge 3.2 Quart Cast Iron Combo Cooker

The pan sourdough bakers recommend more than any other. The shallow half works as the base, so you lower your dough onto it instead of into a deep, hot pot, and the deep half goes over the top to trap steam.

Check price on Amazon for Lodge 3.2 Quart Cast Iron Combo Cooker (opens Amazon)
Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer and Slow Cooker

A warm box that holds dough and sourdough starter at the exact temperature you choose. In a cold winter kitchen it turns slow, unpredictable rises into reliable ones, and it folds flat for storage.

Check price on Amazon for Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer and Slow Cooker (opens Amazon)
Wire Monkey UFO Bread Lame

A lame is a razor-blade holder for scoring dough just before it bakes. This one has a comfortable round handle and a magnet that holds the blade securely, so changing blades is quick and safe.

Check price on Amazon for Wire Monkey UFO Bread Lame (opens Amazon)

Buying guides

The Best Dutch Ovens for Baking BreadThe pans that give home loaves a crackly, bakery-style crust. Our picks for sourdough and no-knead bread, plus what to look for before you buy.The Best Sourdough Tools and Starter Kits for BeginnersThe bannetons, lames, scrapers and starter jars that make sourdough easier, plus the few things you can skip.The Best Stand Mixers for Bread DoughStand mixers that knead bread dough without struggling, from the classic KitchenAid to the bread lover's Bosch and Ankarsrum.The Best Kitchen Scales for Baking BreadWhy weighing ingredients is the biggest upgrade in bread baking, and the scales worth buying, from simple to baker's percentage models.The Best Bread Machines for Fresh Bread with No EffortAdd ingredients, press a button and wake up to fresh bread. The bread machines worth buying for every household size and budget.The Best Baking Steels and Pizza Stones for Bread and PizzaTurn a home oven into a hearth oven. Our picks for baking steels, pizza stones and peels for crisp pizza, flatbreads and loaves.

Winter tip

Cold kitchen? Your dough just needs a warm spot

Starter and dough rise fastest around 75 to 80°F. In winter, rises can take twice as long. A proofer, or an oven with just the light on, brings your schedule back.

Best sourdough tools

Just starting? The three things to buy first

OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display

The scale we'd buy first. The display pulls out from under a big bowl so you can always read it, and it holds up to 11 pounds, plenty for any home dough.

Check price on Amazon for OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display (opens Amazon)
Lodge 3.2 Quart Cast Iron Combo Cooker

The pan sourdough bakers recommend more than any other. The shallow half works as the base, so you lower your dough onto it instead of into a deep, hot pot, and the deep half goes over the top to trap steam.

Check price on Amazon for Lodge 3.2 Quart Cast Iron Combo Cooker (opens Amazon)
9-Inch Round Banneton Proofing Basket Set

A rattan basket that supports your dough while it rises and gives the loaf those pretty flour rings. Most sets include a cloth liner, a scraper and a simple lame, so it's an easy way to get started.

Check price on Amazon for 9-Inch Round Banneton Proofing Basket Set (opens Amazon)
Bread Gear FinderThree questions, one clear recommendation. Flour GuideThe right flour and hydration for 12 popular breads. Hydration CalculatorExact grams of flour, water, salt and starter for any loaf.

Learn the basics

How to Make a Sourdough Starter from ScratchA simple day-by-day method for making a sourdough starter with just flour and water, plus how to tell when it's ready.How to Bake Your First Sourdough Loaf in a Dutch OvenA beginner-friendly timeline for your first loaf of sourdough, from mixing to slicing, with the gear that makes each step easier.Why Is My Bread Dense? 8 Common Causes and FixesDense, heavy or flat bread is frustrating but fixable. The most common causes and exactly what to change next time.

Why trust Knead & Rise?

No sponsored picks

Brands can't pay to be included. We recommend what we'd keep in our own kitchens.

Honest trade-offs

Every pick lists what to keep in mind, not just the highlights.

Fewer, better tools

Bread needs less gear than you'd think. We tell you what you can skip.