Other Equipment
As well as a mixer and/or a large mixing bowl, there are a few other odds and ends you will need for artisan style baking. Firstly, a baking stone or pizza stone (although I don't actually use mine for pizza). I use a baking stone for all my bread except for loaf tin loaves and focaccia. The stone goes in the oven before baking and is heated to a high temperature as the oven warms up. When you put the dough onto the hot stone, a lot of heat is transferred very quickly to the dough, allowing for a good oven spring before the crust is too hard to allow any further rising. I recommend a rectangular stone sold under the brand name Sassafras, see baking stones at amazon.com
You will also need a plentiful supply of clingfilm (clear plastic wrap) and non stick silicone baking parchment. I leave my loaves to prove on a sheet of parchment, covered with lightly oiled clingfilm to prevent the dough from drying out. Then when they are ready to bake, I remove the film and slide them on to the hot baking stone using a rimless baking tray instead of the long handled shovel called a peel used by professional bakers who might have an oven big enough for a dozen loaves. Amazon have a selection of suitable ones: baking sheets on amazon.co.uk
Another vital gadget is a dough cutter/scraper. This is a flat rectangular metal blade with a handle, which makes cutting dough simple and mess free: dough cutter on amazon.co.uk
Professional artisan bakers use ovens fitted with steam injectors which allow for the formation of a crispy crust. It is hard to replicate this in a domestic kitchen, but many home bakers use a water sprayer (e.g. that you might use for misting house plants or dampening clothes while ironing) to spray the inside of the oven a few times during the first ten minutes of baking.