A metal bench scraper is the best tool for dividing doughs. It is also great, as its name suggests, for cleaning up your workbench (or other work surface) between steps.
The easiest and most foolproof way to get a good crust and a predictable rise with a round loaf is to bake it in the closed environment of a Dutch oven, with its even heat. A smaller Dutch oven may work acceptably, but I find that a 6-quart (5.7 L) Dutch oven, measuring 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter at the bottom, is ideal. Lodge is the most common brand, and a very good one. Some home bakers use enameled Dutch Ovens, but if you do, be prepared for scorch marks on your pretty pot.
The right amount of heat is critical to turning out a well-baked loaf with a nice crust. Unless you have a professional baker’s oven, your home oven probably can’t maintain optimum bread-baking temperatures without a little help. A baking stone, also called a pizza stone, is the solution for most of the oval or tube-shaped breads in this book. Baking stones are made of thick, ovenproof materials that hold a lot of heat. For oval loaves or tubes, buy the largest stone that will fit easily into your oven. There will be times when you want to make multiple loaves, and then you’ll appreciate having the extra space.
When using a baking stone, you also need a cast- iron skillet. You’ll place it in the oven below the baking stone and add ice cubes to it to generate steam, which is necessary to create a proper crust (see Baking Stones and Steam). A skillet 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter is ideal.
I use restaurant-style rimmed sheet pans for breads that don’t require a baking stone or Dutch oven, and also for rolls, scones, and biscuits. Either 13 by 18-inch (33 by 46 cm) half sheet pans or 91/2 by 13-inch (24 by 33 cm) quarter sheet pans are fine for the recipes in this book.
Moving loaves in and out of the oven and handling superhot Dutch ovens and cast-iron skillets make heavy-duty oven gloves or barbecue mitts a must for safe baking. Heavy-duty potholders will also work, but mitts or gloves give maximum protection.
Linen or cotton kitchen towels (dish towels) are perfect for covering dough while fermenting. Synthetic materials don’t let doughs breathe enough while fermenting, so stick to natural fibers.
Whether they are traditional willow baskets or plastic replicas, proofing baskets, or bannetons in French, help support a loaf so that it keeps its shape during fermentation. However, they aren’t an absolute necessity. A mixing bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel will also work just fine. The optimum size for recipes in this book is 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter.
When making an oval or tube-shaped loaf, it’s most practical to ferment the shaped loaf nestled within folds or pleats in a stiffer linen liner (aka couche) measuring approximately 24 by 26 inches (61 by 66 cm). In addition to protecting the surface of the loaf so it doesn’t form a skin, the stiff fabric helps maintain the shape of the loaf.
Before baking a loaf that is fermented on a linen liner, you need to move it from the linen liner to the baking peel (described below). The best way to do this is to use something rigid to turn the dough upside down and then gently place it on the baking peel, seam-side down. You don’t need to buy a specialty piece of equipment for this: A thin, rigid material—wood, plastic, or cardboard—bigger than the loaf will do the trick.
If baking on a stone, you need a safe way to transfer shaped loaves on and off the baking stone without burning yourself or messing up the shape of the loaf. I recommend using a baking peel, which is like a long, oversized spatula. Baking peels are also used by pizza makers to slide pizzas into and out of the oven.
To score loaves without tearing them (see Scoring), you need a very thin, sharp blade. Scoring allows the skin of the dough to expand without tearing. Aesthetically, scoring gives bread a very artisanal look. A lame is the traditional tool that bakers use, but you can forego the lame and just use a single-edge razor blade or, in a pinch, a very sharp paring knife.