Tools and Tips
Making sourdough does not require a lot of tools. Like the ingredients the tools are pretty simple and utilitarian.
Tools
scale - this is a tool you will use throughout your baking. I like this Ozeri model found on Amazon
banneton - you can get round or oval. I've found that a round loaf is too wide for my bread knife so I've migrated to oval. Something like this from Amazon. You'll want 2 of these if you're following my recipe.
bench scraper - some of the bannetons come with one but I like one that is a little wider
peel - I use a pizza peel for all of my bread baking. A bamboo one is nice and isn't too expensive.
lame - any razor blade will work to score your bread but using a lame like this is much safer.
baking stone - a good, heavy ceramic stone is great for baking, helps make a nice crust on the bottom and helps maintain the overall oven temperature.
cast iron pan - in order to make the steam you need a pan on the lowest rack of the oven. You can use a baking pan or a glass dish but I've found a cast iron pan works much better. The process will ruin your pan so don't use one with a good seasoning.
Tips
When I started out I watched the video on the Sourdough Bread Masterclass With Patrick Ryan page. His video is great for seeing how he works with the sourdough. It has a very different texture than normal breads and knowing what to expect can be very helpful.
After a bit I came across the Amy in the Kitchen site and followed the basic structure of that recipe. Her recipe gave me great results and I've adapted it to use all purpose flour which is much easier for me to obtain.
Way back I started from this site. It's where I got the initial instructions for growing my starter too.
One great way to further reduce waste and cost is to de-chlorinate your tap water rather than buying bottled water. To do this you just need to put the water in a large bowl and let it sit for a day or two to let the chlorine evaporate off. I go for two days because the last thing I want is any residual chlorine that might kill my starter. After two days you can transfer it to a container. Now you don't have to spend money on bottled water!
Clean up your starter! Do not let your utensils, containers or bowls with starter in them dry out. The stuff turns to concrete (remember, I'm an engineer, so I know concrete). Either submerge it in water if you want to wait or clean it out right away.