Sourdough veterans - advise me please!

[milkmoustache]

I got the Paul Hollywood book for Xmas - the one on Baking with the ever-so-butch cover - can't wait to get stuck in! I am tempted to give sourdough a go but before I go spending on kit that I may not use if sourdough isn't for me, can you advise: do I really need proving baskets and proving cloths? Can I improvise? He explains the whole process so clearly that I am tempted to give it a whirl, but I am a notorious abandon-er of projects as well as being a bit tight-fisted, so I am trying to be practical for once.

I use plastic/metal bowls and clean tea-towels... works fine.

Agree with Cogito. In fact I just bung the dough on the non-stick parchment and cover it with tea towel. And prop it up on all sides if the dough is too wet.

You can always use a loaf pan, although the more rustic look of a banneton/proving basket raised has its appeal.

making sourdough bread here without any special equipment whatsoever.

Using a loaf tin instead of a proving basket works very well.

Clean tea towels are your friend.

Oiled clingfilm, tea towels and any old bowl for me. Sourdough bread is yummy and well worth the preparation time. You don't really need special equipment for baking bread however, I do have a baguette tin for two.

What's sourdough and is it yum?

Mmm, I must resurrect my starter from the back of the fridge, though my local baker does an excellent sourdough on Friday and Saturday at £1.99 and we eat it all in one go!