Drawn to its outside size
A simple 1 g scale is all a sourdough recipe needs.
Bread baking equipment on a budget
On a budget, buy a digital scale first and use what is in your kitchen for everything else: a bowl and towel for a banneton, a razor blade for a lame, and a roasting pan over a baking sheet for a Dutch oven. Then upgrade one piece at a time, starting with the pot.
Order to buy: 1. a scale, 2. a cast-iron pot or combo cooker, 3. a 9 in banneton, 4. a thermometer, 5. a lame. Everything else can wait for a bake that shows you need it.
Buy first
Drawn to its outside size
Buy next
Drawn to its outside size
Bare cast iron costs less than enamel and lasts for decades; load on the shallow half.
Or a 5 qt Dutch oven
Lodge 5 Quart Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven
About 750 to 1,000 g of dough (our estimate)
Drawn to its outside size
Five quarts suits the usual 750 g to 1 kg loaf (our estimate), and the lid works as a skillet.
Then
Banneton
9 in round cane banneton with liner
9 in (23 cm) round: about 750 to 1,000 g of dough
Only when the towel-lined bowl starts to annoy you.
Drawn to its outside size
Dough temperature is what makes timings predictable.
How we know: weights and sizes are the makers' published figures, linked from each product page, and a dough range marked “our estimate” is our arithmetic on them. We do not perform hands-on testing. How we compare.
What your kitchen already has
The only tool with no good stand-in is the scale: cups vary too much for flour, salt and starter.
| Tool | Use instead | Works as well? |
|---|---|---|
| Banneton | Bowl lined with a floured towel | Yes |
| Lame | Double-edged razor blade, or a sharp serrated knife | Yes |
| Dutch oven | Roasting pan over the loaf on a baking sheet | Nearly |
| Bench scraper | Thin metal spatula | Yes |
| Proofing box | Oven with only the light on | Yes, with a thermometer |
| Dough whisk | Wooden spoon or a wet hand | Yes |
| Bulk container | Bowl with tape marking the level | Yes |
If you buy only one upgrade
Buy the pot. A preheated, lidded cast-iron pot makes the biggest difference to how tall the loaf rises and how its crust colours. Bare cast iron is the cheapest kind and lasts for decades.
Spend where it shows
Spend on the scale's capacity and the pot's size, which you cannot change later. Save on blades, scrapers and baskets, where simple versions work as well as expensive ones.
Make the most of each bake
Bake two loaves in a row in the same hot pot and freeze one, sliced (how to freeze bread). It uses the preheat once and you bake half as often.
Questions bakers ask
What is the cheapest way to start baking sourdough?
A digital scale and the bowls, towels and pans you already own. Everything else can be added later.
Is a cheap Dutch oven good for bread?
Yes. Bare cast iron bakes as well as enameled; size matters more than brand.