Tools of the trade

I might be slack, but when it comes to the tools of the baking trade, I believe you shouldn’t take short cuts. 

My tools are cheap, but I always use them to ensure consistency; no guessing (that way I can always replicate what I’ve done).

So here goes.

You’ll need:

* Cooking measuring cups (mine are cheap plastic jobbies)

·         * Cooking measuring spoons (I scored these at the supermarket)

·        * A weighing machine (mine’s a battery-powered electronic number that can weigh something as light as a cigarette!)

·         * A soft spatula (to work flour in the mixing bowl during those first few minutes)

·         * A hard-edged blade (to level off flour in the cups)

·        *  A cake rack – or two (these keep the hot, finished loaf off any hard surfaces so it doesn’t “sweat” as it cools

AnAnd to cut your loaves, I recommend an electric carving knife - ours is an ancient Sunbeam double-bladed thing. It cuts cleanly, producing very little crumb waste.  We haven't graduated to using a cutting guide yet, but that's next cab off the rank.