The kit to bake real sourdough at home. An active starter, a Dutch oven for the crust, a kitchen scale (in grams), a banneton for proofing, a razor-sharp lame for scoring, and a dough scraper. Hydration, time, and temperature; the crumb tells the truth about the ferment.
Plans
Choose a plan that fits your needs and budget
Item List
4Measure & Leaven
2 items
Bake
2 items
Plan Totals$170
FAQ
Common questions about this kit
Active starter?
Yes — the starter (a flour-water-yeast-bacteria culture) is the leavening and the flavor; it must be active (doubles in 4 to 6 hours after feeding) before you bake. Get one from a friend or a bakery (dehydrated), or start one from scratch (7 to 10 days).
Dutch oven for the crust?
Yes — the Dutch oven traps the steam the dough releases in the first 20 minutes (the "oven spring"), giving the open crumb and the crackly crust. Without steam, the crust forms too early and the loaf is dense. The Dutch oven is the home baker's steam-injection oven.
Scale in grams?
Yes — sourdough is ratios by weight (not volume); a cup of flour varies by 20 percent depending on how you scoop, and at sourdough hydrations that error ruins the dough. A gram scale is the single most important tool; volume measuring is a guess.
Lame for scoring?
Yes — the razor-sharp lame scores (cuts) the dough so it expands where you want (the "ear") instead of bursting randomly. A dull knife drags and tears; the lame is the clean cut. The score is the baker's signature.
User Reviews
5.0 / 5.0
Sourdough kit and my first-kitchen kit share the scale-in-grams gospel — a Dutch oven traps steam for the spring, and the lame scores the ear. Hydration, time, and temperature, agreed.