Bake Perfect Bread with These Tools

Is It Safe to Wash and Reuse Ziploc Bags? [America’s Test Kitchen]( [The Well-Equipped Cook. A weekly newsletter from your favorite unbiased tasters and testers.]( [The Well-Equipped Cook. A weekly newsletter from your favorite unbiased tasters and testers.]( [recipes]( [product reviews]( [Equipment guides]( [gear heads]( This Week’s Equipment Guide [Best Tools for Homemade Bread]( Best Tools for Homemade Bread [SEE EQUIPMENT GUIDE]( [Sarah Sandler's Headshot]( [Sarah Sandler]( Associate Editor, ATK Reviews When you ask a normal person what their last meal would be, they usually say something decadent or nostalgic, such as “[lobster rolls]( or “my mom’s [roast chicken]( But my answer is arguably one of the more humble foods around: [bread](. Visiting bakeries is a priority in any city I visit, and I am never one to pass up a noteworthy bread basket, but homemade bread is what brings me the most unadulterated joy. I don’t mean to oversimplify things, but with what other foods do you mix together just three ingredients ([excellent flour]( goes a long way), give it a little fold here or a knead there, and end up with something so undeniably delicious? I will preach this to anyone who will listen. Making bread at home is not as complicated as you may think. But a few [special tools]( will help you bake a gorgeous loaf time and time again. [Dutch oven]( Must-Have of the week A Dutch Oven A good Dutch oven is at the top of my list for most-important bread-baking tools. Professional bakers have the luxury of fancy ovens that get really hot and can inject steam. Baking your loaf in a Dutch oven with the lid on provides that vital steam, and taking the lid off toward the end of baking will give you a gorgeous browned crust. You don’t need the fanciest brand here—our Best Buy is perfect for the job. [Read more →]( [Le Creuset 7¼ Quart Round Dutch Oven]( Our Winner Le Creuset 7¼ Quart Round Dutch Oven Cooking: ★★★   Durability: ★★★   Ease of Use: ★★★   [BUY NOW]( Related Recipes [Classic Sourdough Bread (Pain au Levain)]( Classic Sourdough Bread (Pain au Levain) [Get the recipe →]( [Fluffy Dinner Rolls]( Fluffy Dinner Rolls [Get the recipe →]( [Join now as a digital member, get our 25th Anniversary apron. 14,000+ Best-Ever Recipes, Tips and Tricks, Mobile App, 8,000+ Product Reviews, Full TV Show Episodes. Revolutionary recipes make you a better cook. GET ACCESS + FREE GIFT.]( Explore More Featured Products [Bannetons]( Breadtopia Oval Bread Proofing Basket and Oval Proofing Basket Liner A banneton—or proofing basket—holds your shaped bread dough as it proofs. I’m partial to the oval ones for a professional-looking batard. [Buy It Now →]( [Lames]( Baker of Seville Artisan Bread Lame I used to score my bread dough with a knife, but quickly realized that wasn’t cutting it (pun intended). This lame has a sharp blade, is versatile, and is easy to use. [Buy It Now →]( [Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer]( [ Baking Stones and Steels]( [Cast-Iron Bread Ovens]( [Mixing Bowls]( [SEE ALL THE EQUIPMENT]( The Latest from the ATK Reviews Team [Muffins in a ziploc bag]( Can You Wash and Reuse Ziploc Bags? [Reusing your plastic storage bags helps you get your money’s worth and cut back on single-use plastic. But is it safe? Keep reading →]( [Party food spread]( How to Shop for a Party Like a Pro [We polled private chefs and professional party planners for their tips on perfectly portioned dinner parties. Keep reading →]( [Kitchen Gear: The Ultimate Owner's Manual]( Kitchen Gear: The Ultimate Owner’s Manual Lisa McManus and Hannah Crowley–equipment nerds extraordinaire and executive editors of ATK Reviews–share everything they’ve learned during their decades of hands-on equipment testing. [Get more out of your kitchen tools →]( More Equipment Guides [Baking Basics]( [Baking Basics]( [Our Favorite Tools When Cooking for One]( [Our Favorite Tools When Cooking for One]( [Recommended Badge] Reviews you can trust The mission of [America’s Test Kitchen Reviews]( is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them. [View the web version]( of this email. This offer expires September 20, 2024. All prior sales excluded. No substitutions. [Forward this email]( to a friend. [Unsubscribe]( or manage your [email preferences.]( We sent you this email because our records indicate that you requested to receive email from America's Test Kitchen. Our family of brands [America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Illustrated, Cook's Country, and Cooking School]( Follow Us [Facebook]( [TikTok]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [Pinterest]( [View our privacy policy.]( DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Unfortunately, replies to this email will not be answered. If you have questions, please [visit our Customer Service page.]( America's Test Kitchen, 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210