Baker Gift Guide 2023
Have a baking enthusiast in your life? Or are you the baker and would like to drop some hints ;) Then look no further - I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite tools, ingredients and equipment for my first ever gift guide. Many are from local and/or small businesses, including one from yours truly! Wishing you a very happy holiday season <3
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The first item on my list is White Bark Workwear’s Hemp Apron. Charlie makes the most comfortable apron I’ve had the pleasure to wear and I own several in all different colorways. They are extremely well made and made with hemp and 100% organic cotton and you can even customize them with embroidery for an extra special touch!
photo: Whitebarkworkwear.com
Using high quality ingredients will instantly boost anyones baking game. The vanilla offered at Heilala is incredible; the pure vanilla paste feels especially luxurious folded into buttercream. I use a range of their different vanillas in a variety of baked goods here at LPB. Heilala is committed to sustainable & ethical practices and they are the world’s first and only vanilla company that is a certified B-corporation.
photo: Heilala.com
When it comes to long hours on my feet out in the bake shop, I’ve been an official Crocs convert for a number of years. But this latest collaboration with Hedley & Bennet is by far my favorite. The slip resistant bottoms are a major perk in the kitchen and the adjustable straps in contrasting colors feel a little more elevated than the original. You may even catch me wearing them for school pick-up or out running errands ;)
photo: Crocs.com
There are many designs out there for bread lames, but the UFO design from Wire Monkey is my go-to. Its small size allows for plenty of control without holding the razor in your bare hands (not recommended!), especially for more intricate scoring designs and it’s my favored lame in my collection. It’s a little more tedious to change out the blade, but I think it’s well worth the trade-off. They’re also made from wood that hasn’t been treated with chemicals or plastics. Bonus that they are a small East coast based business and veteran owned!
photo: Wiremonkey.com
Bake your very own LPB Country Levain at home! I’ve spent the last couple of months designing, planning and putting together this baking kit and I’m very excited to have it ready for the 2023 holiday gifting season. Each kit comes with a packet of our dehydrated starter, a two pound bag of our flour blend (100% organic flours from Capay Mills & Central Milling), a 100% organic cotton bread bag from San Francisco based Aplat, wooden handled bench knife and linen lined wicker proofing basket. There’s also a pamphlet with complete instructions for reviving your starter, as well as the recipe and directions for making LPB country levain at home. You’ll also get exclusive access to a blog post with even more detailed instructions, photos, videos and other tips and tricks! Preorder yours here.
A bench knife is an indispensable tool when it comes to bread making. I always reach for this nonstick one from Campbell first. The handle feels great in your hand and it comes in two sizes. Campbell is a highly skilled metal worker and is incredibly generous and well-regarded in the baking community. I highly recommend (and use!) quite a few of his other products, including his exceptionally well made bread tins.
photo: Pleasanthillgrain.com
If you aren’t using a scale for baking, I implore you to make the switch! This small one from Escali is my favorite for smaller scale recipes because it doesn’t have nooks and crannies for flour and other messy ingredients to gunk up. The smooth glass surface is easy to clean and sanitize and the slim design means it can easily be stored in a drawer when not in use. It also comes in lots of fun colors!
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This Baking gift set is a great gift for any baker! But if you can venture a visit to one of their shops, you can see and smell the amazing quality in person and select your own spices for a unique gift. Small-batch spices from this small East Bay based company are featured in many LPB favorites, including their organic Indonesian cinnamon, which is a more mild cinnamon that I love and use in the Cinnamon Roll Scones.
photo: oaktownspiceshop.com
The biggest splurge on my list, but this mixer with its 7 quart capacity bowl is one of the most used pieces of equipment in my bake shop. I’ve had my KitchenAid for nearly 2 decades and she’s still going strong (knock on wood!). If you have a serious baking enthusiast on your hands and they don’t already have a Kitchen Aid mixer, you may just get infinite brownie points if they find this present under the tree this year!
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