Whether you’re starting as a baker or if you’ve been in the kitchen your entire life, there are always new baking tools to explore. New devices can make baking easier, but it’s difficult to know which ones are worth the investment.
Here are a few options for you to explore. Experienced or not, these baking tools help make your baking experience easier and even more fun.
Must-Have Baking Tools
Many of these baking tools are already familiar to avid bakers. Even if you have some of the ones we mention, knowing the best way to use them may inspire you to upgrade some of your older tools. Browse the go-to gear we use here at Backwards Bread, and consider whether your kitchen needs a new addition.
Baking Scale
Using a scale ensures you use the same amount of ingredients with each bake. Measuring by weight helps your baked goodies turn out the same way every time you make them. Even if you have a scale, it’s important to make sure the scale is accurate. If your ingredients are off by a few grams, your bake can turn out very different.
You’ll usually find baking-specific scales at baking and catering businesses, but you can also buy them for home use. Baking scales are extremely accurate and are a great investment for any baker.
Bread Lame
A bread lame (pronounced LAHM) is a long, thin stick with a metal razor attached at the end. This tool is used to cut bread dough and help control how much it rises while baking. Your bread’s rise drastically affects the flavor and texture. With a lame, you have a dedicated tool that makes precise cuts better than your average kitchen knife.
There are a different bread lames to choose from. Some are disposable, some are metal, and others are wooden. Several lames fold inside themselves for easy storage and others have a fixed, flat stick for a handle.
If you plan to use your lame regularly, choose a durable material like metal with a comfortable, fixed handle. If you use a lame sparingly, prioritize plastic ones that are easy to clean and fold for storage in your drawer. Bread lames are easy to find, even at your local grocery store, however, you will find a wider variety online.
Handheld Dough Scrapers
While handheld dough scrapers are not essential during baking, they are very handy for scraping that extra dough out of your mixing bowl or off your counter. Their sharp edges work well to divide dough or flatten ingredients without dirtying your hands.
Scrapers are typically metal or plastic. Plastic scrapers are flexible, making them ideal for scraping out bowls. Sturdier metal scrapers are great for dividing and scraping dough; however, metal scrapers are more likely to damage your work surface. If you don’t have a dough scraper, you can always use a rubber spatula until you find the right one.
Piping Bags
Piping bags are cone-shaped canvas bags filled with your ingredient of choice. With a squeeze, you can control the flow and decorate with ease. You can use piping bags to decorate cakes, cupcakes, and cookies, as well as to fill pastries and croissants.
Pay close attention to the bag size when choosing one for your kitchen. Larger sizes may hold more, but they can make precise decorating more difficult. If you hate cleanup, you can buy disposable piping bags instead of canvas ones, but if you use them often, you’ll save money long-term with canvas.
Don’t forget to test out the decorative tips that come with your bag! These make decorating eye-catching goodies easy and fun. With the right tips, you can learn to make decorative elements for your cakes and cupcakes, like these beautiful buttercream roses.
Get That Bread!
Learn more about the essential bread-making tools and how to use them by contacting Backwards Bread. Take one of our educational tours and come see how we make our delicious artisan bread and pastries. To top it off, we also allow our participants to experiment with the dough and make their own bread!
For those who can’t get enough of Backwards Bread, get involved with our volunteer program! Reach out through our website to learn more.
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