Sourdough Shopping List

Posted On 16 September 2026

Since I’m tired of having to look it up all the time when people ask, I thought I’d put together a shopping list for people who are just starting their sourdough journey. I’m breaking it down into ‘must have,’ ‘should have,’ and ‘nice to have.’

Must Have

• A container for your starter — I use an Oggi clear canister like this one. Nice to be able to see.
• A container for your discard, and I use the same Oggi canister as above.
• A container for feeding — straight sides are best as it’s easier to tell when it’s doubled. I use these. And since that’s a two-pack it’s handy for having an extra for water.
• A good scale. I have a love/hate relationship with this one, but it does the job and has a more accurate smaller pad which is nice.
• A bread lame.
• Parchment paper. Can be re-used a few times before composting.
• A 6-quart Dutch Oven — You can get the fancy French-named one if you’re rich; I’m not rich.
• Flexible Bench Scrapers — I have metal ones, too, but these are great for bending to the shape of a bowl.
• Bread flour.
• Whole wheat flour.
• Fine sea salt.
• 7-inch Banneton Proofing Basket — you may need two. Or more. If you like oval loafs, you’ll need oval bannetons. Make sure the dough that comes out will fit in your Dutch oven.
• Good sized measuring bowls. It’s handy if they have a lid.

Probably Should Have

• Good oven mitts — a 450°F Dutch oven hurts a lot if you grab it with your bare hands.
• White Rice Flour.
• Disposable shower caps — you can sometimes find these at your local discount/dollar store. These make great covers for your dough when it is in your banneton.
• Plastic wrap.
• I don’t use it a lot with sourdough, but a stand mixer sure is helpful with baking. Can’t go wrong with Kitchen Aid, but I know they’re costly. Check your local Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
• Smaller Dutch ovens – I can get two of these in the oven at a time for smaller boules.
• An instant-read thermometer.
• A dredger or two.
• Cooling racks. I have the pans and racks in the link to the left; the pans are handy to put water in the oven.

Nice To Have

• Good olive oil.
• Vital Wheat Gluten. You can make your own bread flour (higher protein) with this and all-purpose flour.
• Nitrile gloves. Sometimes dough is a sticky business and these make clean-up a heap easier.
• French Bread Pan. Great for this recipe.
• Baguette Pan (or two)