Scoring woes... whussup wi'dat?
Hey All,
I seem to be having trouble with scoring loaves lately... I usually use a razor blade, but it's not working so well. Even with a new blade, the slicing action kind of 'grabs' the dough rather than slicing cleanly through it. The weather's been warm lately, so maybe my dough has risen more prior to slicing and that changed it, or maybe the skin of the dough is different in these conditions ...even though I cover dough with a damp towel and plastic while raising.
So what's the secret for producing clean slices when scoring the dough? Do it before it's risen all the way? Spritz the dough with water first? Grease the razor blade? Powder the dough with flour? Fold the dough into itself more effectively and add more tension to the surface? Don't use a razor blade? What? Just thought I'd ask the experts around here and see what they would say... The bread's turning out great, but my dough forming and scoring techniques leave something to be desired!
Thanks,
Brian