For Friends Thinking About Starting Bread Baking ❤️ Equipment Guide

Lately, several people have asked me whether they should buy a stand mixer right away to start baking bread at home. Here are my thoughts.

🌼 My advice is not to buy a stand mixer right off the bat.

🎈 Start by buying a single good non-stick loaf pan (such as my San Neng 450g gold corrugated Pullman pan) and pick a no-knead recipe that doesn't require a stand mixer, like the loaves in Pictures 4 and 5. Try it out and see if you enjoy the process first. That way, even if you decide baking isn't for you, you only have one loaf pan sitting around, and worst case you can use it as a planter for succulents so nothing goes to waste.

🎈 Once you fall in love with baking, there is plenty of time to buy a mixer.

🌼 My own baking journey

🎈 When I first started baking bread, I used a bread machine to knead and proof the dough, then took it out to shape and bake in the oven. Back then I never even checked for a windowpane, partly because I was a beginner, partly because I trusted the bread machine's one-touch kneading cycle, and mostly because the finished loaves had great shred and tasted delicious. My go-to formula back then was the Tangzhong Hokkaido milk loaf I shared recently, which I used for both loaves and buns. I mention this to reassure everyone that a simple bread machine is actually quite capable at kneading dough and can make wonderful bread with the right recipe.

🎈 Later on, the paddle shaft on my bread machine started leaking dark grease. At first I thought it was a fluke, but when it kept happening every time, I finally upgraded to a stand mixer.

🌼 What tools do you actually need?

🎈 Testing-the-waters stage:

1️⃣ An oven (this is essential and has no substitute)

2️⃣ One loaf pan

3️⃣ A pair of chopsticks for stirring

4️⃣ A large mixing bowl

With just those four items, you can bake loaves like the ones in Pictures 4 and 5.

🎈 Once you're hooked:

At this point you can decide between getting a bread machine or a stand mixer.

🎈 If you fall in love with artisan European loaves:

What you need is a cast-iron Dutch oven rather than a stand mixer. Most artisan country loaves use no-knead stretch-and-fold methods done by hand.

🌼 My takeaway:

1 If you have a busy schedule and want the convenience of putting ingredients in at night with a delay timer to wake up to fresh bread, a bread machine offers great value.

2 If you want full control over gluten development and enjoy watching the dough transform through every stage, invest in a stand mixer.

3 If your heart is set on crusty European boules, skip both machines and get a cast-iron Dutch oven. It doesn't need to be an expensive designer brand; any heavy cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid that is oven-safe (preferably dark-colored inside and out) will bake great loaves.