There really is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread, and while the number of artisan bakeries is on the rise, there’s no substitute for making your own at home (especially if you were inspired by Bake Off).
Thankfully, there are plenty of gadgets on the market to help you not only make great bread, but also to get the most out of your loaf once it’s baked.
From mills and knives, to toasters and scales, bready perfection is much more achievable than you may think.
Fergus Jackson, the owner of Brick House Sourdough Bakery & Café in Dulwich, shares his must-have tools.
Gozney Roccbox
This amazing portable oven can turn your back garden into a little slice of Naples. Powered by either wood or gas, it will get up to 500C in a matter of minutes and will bake your flatbreads or pizzas to perfection in around 90 seconds. Top of my Christmas list.
£499 | Gozney | Buy it now
Cane banneton
Bannetons, or proofing baskets, support your dough as it rises during its final proof. They also create a “skin” on the outside of the dough which holds the dough up when it’s turned out, and gives you something to score through.
From £10 | Bakery Bits | Buy it now
Mockmill 200
There is a growing movement of bakers extolling the virtues of using freshly milled wholegrain flour. This table-top mill allows you to do just that in your own home. Stone mills grind your grains at the flick of a switch, and are adjustable so you can set how coarse you want your flour.
From £222 | Mockmill | Buy it now
Joseph Switch Scale
Digital scales are another essential bit of kit for the home baker. This set has some nice features including an integrated bowl, and settings for liquid as well as dry ingredients.
£50 | Joseph Joseph | Buy it now
Wilfa Classic coffee brewer
I don’t know any bakers who could do what they do without the aid of coffee. This lovely looking brewer will take the sting out of those early mornings by producing up to a litre at a time, and will keep your coffee hot right up to that third or fourth cup.
£159.99 | Amazon | Buy it now
Thermapen MK4 digital thermometer
Making great bread is all about the details, and that includes keeping an eye on the temperature of your water, dough and other ingredients. The Thermapen gets the job done fast, and is waterproof and easy to clean to boot.
£65 | Thermapen | Buy it now
Baker’s lame
There’s no point in putting all the time and effort into making a lovely dough, only to roughly score it with a blunt kitchen knife. A lame is essentially a handle onto which you mount a razor blade, which enables you to safely score your bread with control.
£14.10 | Amazon | Buy it now
Sage Appliances The Bit More Toaster
Unlike factory-produced bread, hand-made artisan loaves vary in shape and size. This toaster accommodates all comers with wider, longer slots, settings for different types of products, and a cool “A Bit More” button that gives your slice a bit more time for toasted perfection.
£71.90 | Amazon | Buy it now
The Handmade Loaf by Dan Lepard
This book is a great starting point for making great bread at home, including sourdough and wholegrain. Clear step-by-step theory and instructions, and some great recipes, make this a must for the home baker.
£7.99 | Amazon | Buy it now
