Gifts for Bakers, Including Sourdough Bakers
- 20 gift ideas
- From under $10 to $100 and up
- 8 niche picks
Good gifts for bakers depend on what they bake: bannetons, a bread lame and a combo cooker for sourdough bakers, a baker's scale or Danish dough whisk for bread, and a turntable or piping tips for cakes. These 20 baking gifts also include a stand mixer and cookbooks.
Quick picks
- Best for sourdough bakers: Proofing baskets for sourdough Holds dough shape in the final rise and leaves a flour spiral. Idea 1
- Best overall: A cast iron combo cooker Bakes crusty loaves in a home oven, with the skillet as lid. Idea 4
- Best stocking stuffer: A Danish dough whisk A small tool that earns a spot by the flour bin. Idea 8
- Best splurge: A stand mixer The big upgrade for a baker who kneads by hand. Idea 18
- Best book: Flour Water Salt Yeast A go-to guide to artisan loaves for a baker ready to level up. Idea 19
The easiest baking gifts fix a small frustration: dough that spreads, a loaf that will not score cleanly, frosting that goes on unevenly. Start with the kind of baking they do most, then pick the tool that makes it a little easier.
We sorted these ideas into sourdough, bread tools, cakes and pastry, bigger upgrades and books. If you are shopping for a cook who bakes only now and then, see Cooking Gifts too.
Ideas 1 to 5
Gifts for sourdough bakers
Proofing, scoring and baking tools for a baker who feeds a starter.
1. Proofing baskets for sourdough
A banneton holds a loaf's shape during the final rise, which suits a sourdough baker who is tired of dough spreading on the counter. The spiral flour pattern it leaves on the crust is something bread bakers look for. A set of two is handy for a baker who bakes two loaves at once. Check the size matches the loaves they bake.
Tip: Ask if they already have a banneton, and whether they bake round or oval loaves.
2. A bread lame for scoring
A lame holds a razor blade at an angle so the baker can score a loaf with a clean cut that lets it open into an ear in the oven. It suits a bread baker who is working on scoring and has been using a kitchen knife. It is inexpensive, and spare blades mean it keeps working. Blades are sharp, so this is an adult gift.
Tip: It holds razor blades, so give it to an adult baker and mind the blade cover.
3. A bench scraper
A stainless bench scraper divides dough, shapes loaves and scrapes the counter clean in one move, so it suits every bread baker, from a beginner to someone baking daily. It is a small tool that gets used at every stage of a bake. A soft grip makes it easier to push through stiff dough without tiring the hand.
Tip: Ask whether they already own one; bakers often keep a few.
4. A cast iron combo cooker
A combo cooker suits a sourdough baker using a home oven, because it creates the steamy, enclosed space that gives bread a crisp crust. Used upside down, the shallow skillet becomes the base and the deep pot becomes the lid, which makes it easier to load dough without burned knuckles. It is heavy, so check storage space too.
Tip: Check that it fits their oven and the loaf size they bake.
5. A sourdough starter jar kit
A wide-mouth jar with a marked feeding band makes it easy to see when a sourdough starter has doubled, which suits a new baker who is learning how a starter behaves. A thermometer on the jar helps a beginner keep track of temperature. Add a jar of starter from a baking friend or a good recipe book to start them off.
Tip: Pair it with a starter from a friend, or a sourdough book, for a complete gift.
Ideas 6 to 11
Bread baking tools and everyday gear
Handy tools for loaves of every kind, from baguettes to sandwich bread.
6. A baker's scale with percentage mode
Bread recipes are written in grams and baker's percentages, and a scale that does the percentage math saves a baker from reaching for a calculator mid-mix. It suits a bread baker who scales recipes up and down. A large platform keeps the display visible under big bowls, and spare display covers help in a messy flour kitchen.
Tip: Check whether they weigh in grams, since most bread recipes do.
7. A linen baker's couche
A floured linen couche holds baguettes and batards in shape during the final proof, which suits a baker who makes long loaves and wants them to keep their form. It is a flat sheet that folds between loaves, so it replaces fussy pans and baskets for long shapes. It is also easy to store in a drawer.
Tip: Dust with flour before use, and tell them to air-dry it between bakes.
8. A Danish dough whisk
The looped wire of a Danish dough whisk mixes stiff dough without clumping on the whisk, so it suits a baker who mixes by hand. It is a small tool that is often the first thing a bread baker reaches for. It cleans up quickly and takes little storage space, which makes it a good stocking stuffer.
Tip: Handy to drop into a stocking next to a bag of flour.
9. A Pullman loaf pan
A lidded Pullman pan bakes square sandwich loaves with a fine, even crumb, which suits a baker who makes sandwich bread and wants slices that stack neatly. The lid keeps the loaf from doming, and the 13-inch size makes a full-size loaf. Check their oven fits it, and that they prefer a nonstick coating.
Tip: Check the 13-inch length fits their oven rack before you order.
10. A long serrated bread knife
A long, wavy-edge knife cuts crusty loaves without crushing the crumb, which suits a baker who struggles to slice fresh bread. A wide blade gives a steady cut through a big batard or a boule. It is also useful for layered cakes. Most bakers will already own a knife, so pick this up if theirs is short or dull.
Tip: It is a sharp kitchen knife, so give it to an adult baker.
11. An instant-read thermometer
An instant-read thermometer tells a baker when bread is done by measuring the loaf's internal temperature, and it also checks that water is the right temperature for yeast. It suits a baker who wants consistent loaves. It is a kitchen tool they will reach for in cooking as well, so it rarely sits unused.
Tip: Check for a probe length that suits both bread and water.
Ideas 12 to 16
Cake, cookie and pastry tools
For bakers who decorate cakes, roll pie crust and bake cookies by the dozen.
12. An offset spatula
An offset spatula spreads frosting and batter evenly and lifts cookies off baking sheets, which suits a cake or cookie baker who is using a butter knife for the job. The bent blade keeps knuckles out of the frosting. It is inexpensive and small, so it slips into a stocking or a baking gift basket.
Tip: Buy two sizes if you can: a small one for cakes and a long one for sheet pans.
13. A piping tip set
A set of piping tips gives a cake decorator the basics in one box, from simple round tips to flower and border shapes. It suits a baker who has started decorating cupcakes or layer cakes and wants more options. A hinged box keeps the tips organized and easy to find. Pair it with piping bags and a how-to book.
Tip: Check whether they already have couplers or piping bags to match.
14. A cast-iron cake turntable
A cast-iron cake turntable spins smoothly so frosting goes on evenly and borders come out straight, which suits a cake decorator who has been rotating a cake by hand. The weight of the base keeps it steady while they work. It is a decorating tool that lasts, so it suits a baker who bakes cakes regularly.
Tip: Check the base and pad fit their counter, and that the cakes they make fit the top.
15. A French rolling pin
A tapered French rolling pin gives a baker more control over pie crust and cookie dough, because the hands can feel the dough and steer the pin. It suits a pie or cookie baker who finds a handled pin clumsy. A plain wooden pin takes up little storage space and has no parts to break.
Tip: Hand-wash and keep it dry, as with any wooden kitchen tool.
16. A cookie scoop
A spring-loaded cookie scoop portions dough into even balls, so cookies are the same size and bake at the same rate, which suits a baker who makes batches for gifts or a bake sale. It is quicker and tidier than using two spoons. It also works for muffin batter, meatballs and portioning other doughs.
Tip: Check the size: a large scoop makes bakery-size cookies.
Ideas 17 to 18
Big-upgrade gifts for serious bakers
17. A home proofing box
A home proofing box holds dough at a set temperature, so rising times stay predictable even in a cold winter kitchen. It suits a serious bread baker who is tired of waiting for dough in a chilly house. It is a larger investment than most baking gifts, so it fits a baker who bakes bread every week and for whom timing matters.
Tip: Check the space it needs on the counter and the power outlet.
18. A stand mixer
For a baker who still kneads every dough by hand, a stand mixer is the big upgrade that frees both hands and shortens a long mix. A tilt-head model is easy to load and clean. It is a larger gift, so it suits a baker who bakes often or a household chipping in together, and it takes counter space.
Tip: Ask whether they want a tilt-head or bowl-lift model, and what color.
Ideas 19 to 20
Baking books worth wrapping
19. Flour Water Salt Yeast
Ken Forkish's book is a go-to guide to artisan bread and pizza in a home oven, which suits a baker who is ready to move on from basic loaves. It explains the fundamentals and walks through recipes step by step. A paperback is easy to wrap with a banneton or a Dutch oven for a complete bread gift.
Tip: Check whether they already own it before you buy.
20. Dessert Person cookbook
Claire Saffitz's baking book is a friendly, approachable read for a home baker who likes a project. Its recipes are written for people who bake at home, with plenty of explanations. It suits a baker who already owns the basics and wants new recipes, and it pairs well with a small tool such as an offset spatula.
Tip: A good pairing with an offset spatula or a French rolling pin.
Frequently asked questions
What are good gifts for sourdough bakers?
Start with the tools that shape and bake a loaf: bannetons for the final rise, a bread lame for scoring and a cast iron combo cooker for crust. A starter jar helps a beginner, and a bench scraper suits every bread baker. Flour Water Salt Yeast makes a good book to pair with any of them.
What do you get a baker who has everything?
Look for specialist tools a baker may not have thought to buy: a linen couche for baguettes, a Danish dough whisk, a Pullman pan or a scale with baker's percentage mode. A baking book that suits their current projects also works, and so does a consumable such as a spare set of lame blades.
What are good Christmas gifts for bakers?
A mix of one small tool and one bigger item works well: a Danish dough whisk or offset spatula in a stocking, with a Dutch oven, a turntable or a cookbook under the tree. Consider adding a bag of good flour or a starter to start them off.
What are good gifts for beginner bakers?
A scale, an instant-read thermometer, a bench scraper and an offset spatula cover the basics. A starter jar kit helps someone who wants to try sourdough. A friendly cookbook such as Dessert Person gives them recipes to try.
What is a good splurge gift for a baker?
A stand mixer is the big upgrade for a baker who still kneads by hand, and a home proofing box helps bread bakers in cold kitchens keep rising times steady. Both take counter space, so check where they would live and which model the baker already prefers.
What are good stocking stuffers for bakers?
Small tools work best: a Danish dough whisk, a bread lame, a bench scraper, an offset spatula or a cookie scoop. Each one is small enough to slip into a stocking, and a baker will use it on their next bake.
