The Fresh Loaf

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scoring wet dough

Got-to-Baguette-Up's picture
Got-to-Baguette-Up

scoring wet dough

Hello,

I've recently discovered the towel method for steaming the oven, and am finally getting the richly colored crusts that I see at a bakery, and my loaves even have small ears!  I've never gotten ears, and I always thought it was my scoring method, but now I know it was half that, and half not steaming the oven ( I used the bowl method ).  

That being said, I know I could get better looking ears if I scored the loaves correctly, but I bake a lot of high hydration bread, mostly sourdough, and the razorblade just doesn't cut the dough like a lower hydration dough.  It either catches, and creates a 'dotted line' kind of score, or doesn't do much at all, meaning the dough seals back after the cut.  

Any techniques on how to properly score such bread (73-80% hydration)?  I try to go deep, cut fast, and I can't seem to really get anything going.   I do get ears, but they are small, and not evenly distributed on the loaf.  

Any help is much appreciated. 

 

alfanso's picture
alfanso

"I try to go deep" - I read this as a typical error in those trying to learn to score dough.  All depends on what your meaning of "deep" is.  Depth of cut is not any indicator of oven spring/open ears, and the general depth of a score should be in the range of somewhere between, let's say, 1/8" and 1/4" (.32cm - .64cm).  

High hydration doughs, as you desire to make, require a more severe angle than lower hydration doughs, with the object being to create a "flap" of dough rather than split the dough by carving deep down into it.

Refer to this comment on scoring baguettes and also this one .

alan

jimbtv's picture
jimbtv

Trust me, we all had the same problem you are describing when we first started. Practice will change your results and you will find wetter dough easy to score too.

You describe "small ears" and attribute it to your scoring technique. Personally I have found small ears more a function of under or over-proofing of the dough. If you had small ears and a big blowout somewhere else on the loaf, I'd agree that your scoring was not effective.

Successful grigne (ears) is a combination of several things. First you have to have the optimum proofing of the bread, where gas bubbles have formed and are well distributed. Proper proofing also means a well-developed gluten structure that will support the expansion of the bread as it is heated.

Relatively high and stable heat causes the expansion to happen quickly. I bake my baguettes around 500 F. and other breads 425 - 500 F, and I have a large stone that retains the heat well.

As you know, steam is important as it keeps the surface of the dough supple so that the expansion doesn't blow out the dough at some weak point. Instead you have created weak points in your loaf by scoring it properly so you have a "controlled blowout".

Patience and practice will help develop the results you desire.

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

Just want to add that if you show the slightest hesitation then it'll drag and tear. Show the dough no fear. Be quick and sure. 

Southbay's picture
Southbay

Whatever container you are proofing in could be coated in rice flour to promote development of something like a firm skin around the surface of your bread. Something that I think gets overlooked about coating your bread in flower is that you can gently and quickly scrape most of it off with a knife just before spraying your loaf with water and scoring it. With high hydration, a little overproofing and a good scoring can lead to a bread that expands outward instead of upward, so you gotta watch how long you let it sit. And I'm not a salesman, but you could try a havalon replaceable blade knife or just replace your blades more often. Edges can get dull faster than expected. Good luck.