Fermenting Containers that are not plastic

I use Cambro 4 liter - 1 gallon plastic restaurant style food grade containers to refrigerate starter. They're translucent allowing the dough inside to be easily viewed and are marked volumetrically on one side for estimating fermentation volume. Though not as transparent as glass, plastic is considered to be a much safer alternative. Cambro sells them in clear plastic also. I use the larger sized containers to store flour.

Cambro is a well known supplier of plastic food containers sold nationwide. The page location for these containers is located here on their website:

http://cool.cambro.com/CamSquare_Storage_Containers_and_Lids_Storage.ashx

Wild-Yeast

A little Googling brings up laboratory glassware that may suit your needs.  Borosilicate beakers are widely available up to 4000 ml (4 liters) and would have the advantage of being more heat resistant that currently available kitchen glass.  Glass laboratory pitchers in various sizes are also available. 

The problem with glass containers that size is that they will either be fragile or very heavy.  But I understand your goal of using less plastic (esp for sourdoughs).

sPh

I see restaurant waitresses delivering ice water in the kind of container that would work well for bulk rising all the time. Looking for a jar with a wide mouth is likely to lead you into obscure and expensive corners; look instead for "pitchers".

I assume these things are available at restaurant supplies (that restaurant got all new equipment only a couple years ago, so they're definitely not antiques). They're likely also available at many of the cheaper outlet stores that carry kitchen equipment. And I expect they show up at yard sales  ...although that's not necessarily helpful if you need one now.

This 2 quart measuring pitcher has a nice wide mouth and a tight lid.  

http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Supply-Quart-Glass-Batter/dp/B0000CFQ5C/ref=pd_sim_k_6

Brother David turned me on to these.  They work for about 1500 grams of dough.

Glenn

You may find what you want if you shop for scientific supplies  -  like these:

http://www.researchsupply.net/?gclid=CNX005jisKkCFQEHbAodQGx9Jw

http://www.researchsupply.net/Bomex_Glass_Beaker.html

You can find lots of interesting ideas by Googling scientific supplies, lab supplies, medical supplies, hobbie supplies, brewing supplies, etc.

I've been using 2 1/2 quart plastic paint buckets from Home Depot  They are translucent and are marked in qt. and liter levels.  You can easily see the size of the bubbles.  With lids they are about $2.75 each. 

George

I usually prove my bread in a wooden bowl, but sometimes (for smaller loaves) I use a Pyrex-type mixing bowl of approx 1.5 capacity. I can't remember whether it's authentic Pyrex or an imitation, but I wouldn't have paid more than £5 for it. In fact, probably much cheaper than that.

I cover it with a wet muslin cloth but one could also use a glass saucepan lid.