Everything you need to bake the loaves on this site, in one checkable list. Tick items off as you shop. It's the grab-and-go version of my full Kit page — same recommendations, none of the essay. If it's here, it's in my kitchen.
New to sourdough? You need far less than you think. Start with the four essentials, add the rest as you go.
Start here — the four essentials
The shortest path to a very good loaf. A scale, a jar, a Dutch oven, and flour. Everything below this is refinement.
- King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour — the workhorse for every dough on this site (~12.7% protein).
- Digital kitchen scale (reads to 1 g) — sourdough is weighed, not measured.
- Cast iron Dutch oven, 5–7 qt, with a lid — Lodge for value, or a Staub as an heirloom.
- A wide-mouth glass jar for your starter — a sourdough crock or any quart Mason jar, lid resting loose.
Flour
- Unbleached Bread Flour — every loaf here. Also comes organic.
- Organic Whole Wheat Flour — my starter's food, day one to forever.
- Whole Wheat Flour — for genuine wheat loaves like Country Wheat.
Starter & pantry
- Quart glass jar or crock — wide mouth, loose lid. The CO₂ needs somewhere to go.
- Fine sea salt — any brand. 10 g per loaf.
- Filtered or bottled water — chlorine in tap water can slow a young starter. A Brita pitcher is fine.
Essential tools
- Digital scale — reads to 1 g. The one tool you can't skip.
- Danish dough whisk — mixes wet dough without gumming up. About $15.
- Bench scraper — for handling, dividing, and cleanup. A metal one lasts forever.
- Instant-read thermometer — dough temp and doneness. A $15 model works too.
Baking hardware
- Cast iron Dutch oven, 5–7 qt — Lodge for value; Staub for keeps.
- Banneton / proofing basket — 9-inch round fits most boules here. A floured tea-towel-lined bowl also works.
- Bread lame — for scoring. A razor blade on a chopstick is the DIY version.
- Parchment paper — to lift dough into a screaming-hot Dutch oven by the edges.
For pan loaves (optional)
- 9-inch Pullman pan with lid — for sweet doughs like Honey Oat and Cinnamon Raisin.
Automation upgrades (only if you bake weekly)
Two appliances that earn their price if your kitchen runs cold or your energy is limited. I own both, and wrote a full side-by-side on which one you actually need.
- Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home — holds your starter at a precise temperature, heating or cooling. The cheaper of the two, and the one to buy first.
- King Arthur Sourdough Sidekick — automated feeder that dispenses and stirs on a schedule. For maintenance you'd rather not do by hand.
Where to go next
You have the list. Now go make something: start with the starter guide and the Classic. Want the reasoning behind every pick? That's the Kit page.