I can’t seem to get the scoring right. The dough cuts, but it also “tears” as well.
73% hydration in the photo with a poolish. I let the baguettes sit in refer until 17*C in attempt to make scoring easier, but it didn’t work.
Using a true lame with a bowed blade to score… but something isn’t right.
Do baguettes require a lower hydration to be scored properly? Any suggestions?
The crumb looks great. The scores should be overlapped more, and angled less from one side to the other in other words, keep them close to the central axis.
To see why I talk about overlap, imagine that the scores didn't overlap at all. Then the loaf would expand most in the middle of the scores and much less between the ends of two scores. Your loaf would look like a bean pod, swollen where there's a bean and thin between the beans. Overlapping the scores provides a graded transition area that can expand more like the middle of each score.
If you want more of an ear at the edges of the scores, try angling the blade more towards the horizontal and also score deeper. If that doesn't do it, try proofing for a shorter time. That will probably lead to more vigorous expansion in the oven, and that should cause more tearing at the scores.
TomP
Thanks Tom! Really appreciate your quick responses!
Do you have thoughts about 73% hydration? And the fact that, while the dough is slicing, it’s also tearing at the surface. Any thoughts on those two things?
Is it tearing because of the blade sticking? That's my usual problem. If it's that, let the surface dry out for 10 or 15 minutes before scoring. This will also probably give more of an ear. Also, make sure the blade is really sharp, even if you have to keep using new blades. And use fast, definite strokes of the blade.
I'm not an expert baguette expert but I often read of lower hydrations, like 65%. But the right hydration depends so much on the flour and what other properties you want to achieve that it's hard to be definite.
BTW, there have been many excellent posts on baguettes here on TFL, and I think there was a "Community Bake" on them. Yes, here it is - you can use the TFL search box but I found it more easily with an internet search:
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/64622/community-bake-baguettes-alfanso
Use the TFL search box to find other threads. There's a wealth of experience here if you can find it!
Without knowing more of the particulars of your process I will venture a guess. They look like they were slightly over proofed or the bulk fermentation was too long. It could be related to the polish fermentation as well. It also looks like there wasn’t enough tension built during the shaping to create an ear that would bloom with the oven spring. The steaming process in your oven may have also been inadequate. Baguettes require more precision because mistakes compound going forward and it’s not necessarily one thing but a combination of misses. All to say that making a good baguette is a challenge that it doesn’t come easy without a lot of practice.
Don