scoring
why does my lame snag the dough?
I have been trying to score with a curved razor. When I slash the dough, it basically gets caught in a snag and I can't move it all the way through. I have read Hamelman's detailed instructions as well as read a lot on this site, but I'm still not sure what I am doing wrong. I don't have this problem with the serrated knife that I use but I would like to be able to use the curved blade for baguettes. I recently bought a lame thinking that maybe my homemade one was the problem, but that hasn't helped. I still end up getting snagged in the dough. Thank. -Varda
Two questions about dealing with dough
I have a double whammy here.
Alright so I've been making bread lately (along with everyone else in the forum), and I've been having a few problems, about scoring bread, and refrigerating bread. First, about the scoring, i use our biggest knife, and spray it with pam, but it still get a lackluster score in the bread and ends up deflating it. Any help?
"Ears" Roaring about Scoring...
This is the experience that solved my problems with scoring/getting those ears on my loaves.
There's lots of good info in this site about when, where, why and how to score; you can read it all just like I did.
But if that doesn't do the trick, here's what made my score something to roar about:
1. Double-sided razor blades, still available in a easy to handle cartridge at some pharmacies.
2. Break them in half lengthwise - now you have twice as many.
3. Employ them easily, safely, by hand. SCORE!
ROAR!!!
Scoring walnuts loaves
Hi there,
I have a problem scoring walnots and raisin loaves.
I get a very good looking scored loaves without but when scoring with walnuts the knife just bumped into the nuts and the curves are cut and the loaf doesnt look good.
Any ideas?
Thanks a lot,
David
Scoring
What would you say would be the best thing to use for scoring? I'm currently using a serrated knife as its all I've got. :)
what do you use and what's worked best for you?
shalom!
-Ra'chel
Slash and burn
The two loaves in this photo are identical twins. They both suffered near-fatal overproofing (we went to lunch at the CIA, had wine, saw no reason to move quickly, got home late to find loaves spilling over the edges of the proofing basket).
Sourdough baguette experiment -- Success!
Usually when I get it in my head to cobble together a formula based on two or three things I've seen mentioned on this forum, two more in my head, and a bit of whimsy, the results are not pretty. Especially when it comes to baguettes. The last two or three times I've tried to make baguettes, they've come out flat, with closed crumb and, with the sourdough versions, crust that provides a thorough jaw workout.
But not this time, oh no! This time I tasted victory. Victory, and some very yummy bread.
Here's what I was trying for:
Scoring Issues
I always seem to have difficulty scoring my baguette dough. I believe the dough is well hydrated, not over-kneaded, and it is properly proofed. There is no "skin" on the dough. I use a new, sharp razor blade, but the blade gets "stuck" in the dough when I try to score it at a slight or perpendicular angle - the blade does NOT slice through the dough. Baked, the baguette is gorgeous and the crumb, wonderful.
Any suggestions how I can score my dough without a tug of war?
Thanks,
Diane
Grigne
I know I ask a lot of questions!!
I am trying to improve the grigne on my loaves, but I realized that I don't know what a "good" one actually looks like. I personally like a little bit of a ragged look, but not so ragged that it looks like a mistake. I like to see some of the hole structure, and for there to be some color contrast between the scoring area and the rest of the crust. Are these indicators of a "proper" grigne? If not, what should I be striving for, aesthetically?