Bread Scoring Basics: How to Score a Loaf of Bread

Scoring is the process of cutting a slash in the surface of bread dough before baking. Bread dough rapidly expands when it is first placed in the oven (an effect known as “oven spring”), and scoring controls this expansion. Bakers score their loaves to prevent them from cracking—and to give the dough a helpful boost. If a loaf is under-proofed, a deep score can help it open up.

There are three tools that professional bakers and home bakers alike can use to score their loaves.

1. 1. Lame: Pronounced “lahm,” this tool is good for slashing loaves efficiently (and without cutting yourself). The curved blade is attached to a wand or stick for extra control.
2. 2. Razor blade: If you don't have a lame, try using a double-edged razor blade, which is sharper and thinner than the single-edged version.
3. 3. Scissors: Some breads are best scored using sharp kitchen scissors. For example, to give a loaf of brioche its characteristic mushroom top, use kitchen scissors to snip all around the edge of the loaf. For the best rise, make sure your scissors have sharp blades.

Scoring can feel uncomfortable at first: You've worked so hard to develop a gluten network, and now you're just going to slash it open? Overcoming the fear of scoring is the key to producing beautiful loaves. Here's how to get started:

1. 1. Choose a pattern. If this is your first time scoring, one of the easiest patterns to accomplish is a hashtag shape. With your blade at a 45 degree angle from your loaf, apply medium pressure—about what you’d use to write on paper with a pen. Slash two straight lines on the top of the loaf, each about a quarter of an inch deep. Then turn the bread 90 degrees and repeat. Once you've mastered the hashtag, you can move onto more complicated scoring patterns, from initials to wheat stalks.
2. 2. Make deep, swift cuts. When scoring, you need to cut deep enough to allow the bread to expand—but not so deep that it damages the shape of the loaf. This requires a honed blade and confident technique. Speed is critical. Hesitation can cause tears in the bread.
3. 3. Use different scoring patterns for different types of bread. The best scoring patterns for boules (round loaves) won't work for baguettes and bâtards (oval-shaped loaves). For longer loaves, try a series of small diagonal slashes. Use a straight blade to create a cross- or square-shaped scores on round loaves of sourdough bread.

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