Equipment

We use these hand tools (also called bench knives) all the time in the bakery, principally to cut dough, but they are also incredibly useful for scraping down tables and wooden boards.  Individually made for us by Rise Farm Joinery in Lewes and Random Products in Brighton, these tools are made with a solid oak handle and are both beautiful and practical.

The hand tool is not dishwasher safe and the handle should not be soaked in water.  Oil the handle regularly with linseed or vegetable oil to maintain its finish.

Peels are used to slide bread or pizza onto an oven stone, and these peels are hand-made for us in solid ash by the craftsmen at Rise Farm Joinery in Lewes, East Sussex.  A generous sprinkling of cornmeal or semolina will ensure a smooth transition from peel to stone.

Proving baskets help retain the shape of the dough as it proves prior to baking.  When fully proved, the risen dough is then turned out of the baskets before going into the oven to be baked (ideally on an oven stone).  We sell two types of baskets:  Unlined cane baskets from Germany called Brotformen and linen-lined wicker baskets from France called Bannetons.  Whichever style you choose, your finished bread will have that professional look.

A couche cloth is a length of linen used to prove long loaves, such as baguettes.  Linen is an ideal material to use with dough as it tends not to stick and is free from fluff.  Imported from France.

These stones mimic the effects of a brick or masonry oven, which retain and conduct heat more efficiently than a domestic oven.  They are quite easy to use and require no more effort than remembering to put them into a cold oven to pre-heat along with the oven itself.  Using an oven stone will give the home baker the ability to make bread with a fantastic crust that cannot be imitated when using a tin or a tray.  We sell two sizes of stones - a smaller one that will fit a regular domestic oven, and a larger one for double ovens or Agas.  And we now have two varieties of stone, our regular stone and a new deluxe version (same sizes) from a different supplier.  These deluxe stones are thicker and slightly more substantial.

PLEASE NOTE:  DUE TO HIGH BREAKAGE RATES WE DO NOT SEND THE STONES BY POST OR BY COURIER.  COLLECTION  FROM THE BAKERY, by appointment. 

We offer two kinds of scrapers, both of which are very useful tools for baking and also for around the kitchen generally.   The first is a flexible-bladed metal scraper that is brilliant for clearing your work surface.  The second is a curved plastic scraper that helps keep your hand clean while you mix ingredients together and is perfect for scraping dough out of bowls or curved containers.

The Grignette (or lame) is a French dough cutting tool with a curved blade.    It is an essential tool for achieving just the right cuts on the perfect baguette.  In France, the dough that rises to fill the cut is called the grigne (which sounds something like "grin"), and the grignette will help you achieve that happy, smiling loaf!

We are also now selling a small serrated knife of the type we use daily at the bakery.  It is just the right size for easy dough-cutting.