OK, I'll join in the food fight.

> I tell folks not to bother if they're not willing to put out
> about $100 for the following:
>
> a digital scale

I agree that a digital scale makes things much simpler, especially for a
newbie. For me, using a $30 scale speeds things up and allows me to fiddle
around with recipes much more easily. That said, plenty of folks make fine
bread with measuring cups and spoons.

> an oven rack thermometer
Eh. I don't see the point, myself. If the bread's not baking through or the
crust isn't dark / crispy / whatever enough, just adjust the dial a bit next
time.

> a dough thermometer
I use an instant read thermometer occassionally to make sure the bread is
cooked properly, but I don't fiddle with dough temperatures much. Bread
turns out fine. After it's shaped, I let it rise in a makeshift proofbox,
which is a beer cooler, an upturned bowl and some hot water poured in the
bottom. I check the temperature with an instant read thermometer to make
sure it doesn't go above 86 degrees. If it's too hot, I open the lid for 30
seconds or so.

Works for me.

As for the dough temperature itself, if I were on a production schedule at a
commercial bakery, dough temperature would be crucial. But I just don't see
the point of getting all finicky about dough temperatures for the home
baker, unless you're interested in doing the Detmolder 3-stage stuff and, if
you're a newbie, that's definitely NOT the place to begin.

> a hot pad (to fashion a simple proofing box) a proofing

Maybe, but I think the beer cooler method is cheaper and just as effective.
I think the bread tastes better if it's had a warm rise, but it'll rise just
fine at room temp and still taste plenty good -- just takes longer.

> bucket a couple of proofing baskets
A couple of mixing bowls and some cloth napkins are a heck of a lot cheaper
than proofing baskets, and work just as well. And if you're making pan
bread, no need to bother. As for a dough bucket -- what's wrong with a bowl?


--
Jeff