October 3, 2014 - 7:04am
Lame for slashing dough
I haven't seen an actual lame, but pictures indicate the razor blade is curved. Does this help in making the cut?
I've tried—without much success—using a single-edge blade. Not sure if it is thicker than a double-edge blade for shaving. Thickness may not be a factor, though, because I have better luck slashing the dough with a ceramic knife.
Janet
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Hi Janet,
The curve in the blade helps to lift the dough as the blade is drawn through the loaf at a steep angle. The blade is held more horizontal than vertical so that you slice and lift the dough rather than cutting deeply into the dough.
Jeff
Traditionally. a straight blade is used for cuts made with the blade at right angles to the loaf surface, e.g., boules. A curved blade is used for cuts made with the blade at a shallower angle, e.g., baguettes, where you want an ear to form.
If you have a blade that works for you, there is no reason to use a different one. Sharpness of the edge is more important than thinness of the blade, since cuts generally are very shallow (1/4 to 1/2 inch deep).
If you have not seen my Bread Scoring Tutorial (Scoring Bread: An updated tutorial), you may find it helpful.
David
Everyone has their own preferred slashing tool, and mine has actually varied over time and with the dough I'm working with. At one point i preferred a cheap serrated fillet knife for my dryer dough (63-65% hydration), the knife shape was maneuverable and it separated the dough well. It was also cheap enough that I could run out and get another when it got dull.
A wetter dough (75% hydration) can easily cling to the cutting tool, and serrated blades snag badly on a wet, sticky dough. I have a favored cheap knife made in Thailand (Kiwi brand) that holds an excellent edge and can slash sticky dough with less difficulty.
I recommend trying every knife you own and see what works best for you, and keep experimenting even after you find one that works well because there is always something that works better. The lame looks good for slashing some types of loaves but isn't a fits all tool.
I use a large cook's knife for drier dough, and for wet and sticky dough I've successfully used scissors :-)
Hi Janet,
Pictured below is a lame that I designed and made.
[It was posted inside this post: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/38115/lame-maker]
The blade is held curved on the holder tang which in turn is also curved yielding a nicely curved edge. In use the blade is first dipped into water then held at a low angle to the intended cut line - the handle is angled toward the body (see David's post above). The scoring cut is done quickly and deliberately. The lame makes a shallow angled cut in the dough lofting it up slightly and to one side not unlike the action of plow that tills the soil - it will curl slightly up during the bake making attractive ears on the loaf.
A little practice makes it one of those irreplaceable tools in the baker's repertoire.
Wild-Yeast
How about these as lames?
I haven't had much luck with single-edge razor blades, but am not sure why.
I've tried the single edge blades also with the same results as Xacto and surgical scalpels. The problem seems to be the angle of the honed cutting edge. Safety razors have a very shallow hone angle - nearly half that of Xacto or scalpel blades. The curved blade cutting dynamics are also different - the edge cuts the dough lifting the parted upper flap away from the score line.
Many bakers use a safety razor without the curved lame holder. I've tried this and found that the shallow ear cut is not as achievable as with the curved blade and is not as controllable as when using the lame.
Wild-Yeast
http://xacto.com/products/cutting-solutions/knives.aspx
Janet, Sur La Table sells a Lame with a curved blade for about $6 . http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-23857/Matfer+Lame If you go to a store, you won't see it out - I think they are afraid people will cut themselves, but if you ask for a bread scoring knife at the counter, they usually keep them there.
In her show on french bread from 1971, Julia Child visited professor Raymond Calvel in Paris. You don't get a very good look at professor Calvel's lame, but Julia used a single-edge razor blade in the studio. I guess I'm not the connoisseur of slashing that others are, but if it's good enough for Julia Child it's good enough for me.
I have seen several sourdough/artisan-baking videos on YouTube, all of them made by "bubba", where not only do they use loaf pans, they don't even slash the crust! Horrors!
No loaf pans for me because you don't get a nice crisp crust.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iH3hjDUhWw
Just kidding about "bubba", so don't go searching for videos from "bubba".
This looks interesting because the blades can be replaced. I would put some tape over the sharp parts of the blade when replacing it so you don't cut the Dickens out of your fingers.
http://www.amazon.com/Breadtopia-Bread-Lame/dp/B009FCUYV4/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1412573078&sr=1-1&keywords=lame+bread+slashing+tool
There is occasional on and off chatter on TFL, as in this thread, about the types of blades that can be used as lames for scoring bread, with some Loafians expressing perhaps well-founded fears of toying around with sharp objects. I decided to make a short video on how to handle a double edged razor blade as a lame. No bread or scoring in this video, I’ll leave that for others. I hope that this will allay concerns that some folks around these parts have about handling lames. Have a look...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1cNO5lCwhQ&feature=youtu.be
alan