Everything You Need to Make Sourdough (From Beginner to Obsessed)

If you strip sourdough down to its core, it’s simple: flour, water, salt, and time.

What complicates it is only the optimization of your existing routine/plan/etc.

Below is a complete, practical guide to what you actually need, what makes your life easier, and what becomes helpful once you’re fully in.

The Ingredients You Truly Need

Bread flour (I still haven't found a favorite personally, but people love King Arthur)
Water
Active sourdough starter
Salt

That’s it. No yeast. No sugar. No oil.

If your starter is healthy, these four ingredients will produce a proper loaf.

You can technically make sourdough with very little, but these tools dramatically improve consistency:

Digital kitchen scale - Precision matters. Sourdough is hydration math.
Large mixing bowl - I like clear glass so you can see the dough rise and bubble.
Bench scraper and dough scraper - The dough scraper helps you remove the dough from the bowl, and the bench scraper helps with pre-shaping and final shape tightness.
Dutch oven with lid - This traps steam and creates oven spring. If you don’t have one, you’ll need a baking stone and a steam method. This is a well-priced pot for a fraction of what pricy brands cost, and it has phenomenal reviews.
Lame or sharp razor blade - For controlled scoring.
Parchment paper - Makes transferring dough into a hot pot safer. You can also get this at any grocery store.

If you own only these, you can make excellent bread.

These aren’t required, but they reduce guesswork:

Banneton (proofing basket) - Creates structure and those classic flour rings.
Thermometer - Dough temperature directly affects fermentation speed. You can use this for other baking or grilling as well.
Cooling rack - Prevents a soggy bottom crust.
Bread knife (long serrated blade)
Sourdough whisk