January 4, 2012 - 2:03pm
help with slashing
How do you get nice flat even slashes going in the direction you want? I've tried a bread knife, a razor blade, a lame and finally a pair of scissors. Here is a photo (I hope!) of my last attempt. Any help much appreciated.
David Snyder posted a scoring tutorial which you might find helpful:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10121/bread-scoring-tutorial-updated-122009
Also, if you use the term scoring in the search bar, you'll find lots more advice.
Happy scoring....
Looks great, thanks v much
My biggest problem (at first) was a lack of surface tension. I'm pretty quick and organized so after the final rise I scored a loaf and had the same problem you did. The top of the loaf was too wet, creating drag. The next time I uncovered my loafs a little and waited until the loaf got a tiny bit dry on top. The next time (in impatience) I dusted a bit of flour on it. Both worked and gave me good scoring.
-Arlene
that's a new idea for me. Will try it next time, thanks v much.
I bake no-knead bread almost exclusively. I start them off in a covered dutch oven for ten minutes. At that point I uncover and continue baking. At the ten minute mark I score the loaves. I have gotten nice oven spring at that point and the crust is starting to dry so it is very easy to score the loaves with any kind of blade. I continue baking uncovered and get a little more spring and a nice bloom.
thanks very much. I don't have a dutch oven - but a pyrex dish with lid would work I suppose?
I just pulled a Tartine bread out of the oven. The scoring didn't open. The bread otherwise looks good. But that's a big otherwise. I took it directly from the fridge after an overnight retardation. My breads baked in le Creuset open up beautifully. But these 1kg. boules were too big, so I baked them in a 5qt. soup pot. Maybe Magic Bowl directly on my stone? I did proof them in an overlarge banneton. Is that the culprit?
I use a small serrated knife that's very sharp (mainly because I only use it for scoring). It works fine with me but what I've learned from a bit of practice is that you need to be very quick about it. Don't go slowly like you're decorating your loaf. Make it quick and painless for your loaf.