October 20, 2020 - 5:19pm
What's the sharpest blade out there?
There's this saying in my language, "if you can't dance, the floor must be crooked".
So I can't score my breads, I always end up sawing them with the blade because it just won't go through in one smooth pass. And even in a non-smooth pass it's quite a struggle. So you know, it has to be the blade right, not me, right? :)
In all seriousness, which blade are you using? Looking for the sharpest one out there :)
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The bread? Why would you slash bread? Don't you mean slice?
Or did you mean slash (as in "score") the dough?
Sincerely,
-Mr. Literal.
thank you Mr. Literal. I did in fact mean score :)
I can use double-edge blades if necessary.
Razor blades can be sharpened on a fine sharpening stone.
I put a new blade in my razor every month (I shave 2-3 times a week) and the old one goes in my lamé, after washing. Try dipping the blade in water just before you use it.
Dip in flour.
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Is what I use. Cheap and sharp, blade is almost as thin as a razor blade, easy to hold. My father had a short knife with a serrated blade that worked well for him.
... than the blade. My understanding, though I am not an expert shaper nor scorer:
1. develop gluten in the dough mass as a whole.
2. develop more gluten in the skin, sometimes called a "gluten cloak" by Hertzberg and François, by means of the final shaping procedure.
3. develop tension in the skin by means of the final shaping procedure.
2 and 3, I think this is done at least in part by the final folds, shaping, and dragging the dough, seam side down, on the work surface, turn the dough, and do again.
I had to watch videos and practice a lot.
4. Dry out the skin somewhat by wicking away moisture via a floured and porous banneton, and optionally a floured banneton liner. On a nicely scored dough, pre-baking, you can usually see how the "skin" is drier than the inside.
User Ciabatta has great scoring examples here: https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/64882/chocolate-hazelnut-sourdough
and: https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/64948/bulgar-flaxseed-30-whole-wheat-sourdough
5. Cool dough skin scores cleaner than at room temp. ie, proofed in fridge.
6. Brush or wipe off any excess caked-on flour before scoring.
Good luck amigo, and bon appétit.
Some good tips right there. I noticed that when I take my dough out of the fridge, the bag it's sealed in has quite a bit of moisture. I wonder if that's contributing to it.
Also, would rubbing the dough (gently) with some flour prior to scoring help at all? I'm surprised you said brush off the excess flour, I thought flour would make it easier to score and that in general lower hydration scores more easily.
Kershaw Bareknuckle, with the 14c28n blade steel. About 75$, but it's an upgraded razor blade steel and will hold a dangerously sharp edge for a while. And ya get a gorgeous pocket knife to boot. Enjoy!