What Scoring Tool Do You Use?
I have been baking sourdough bread for over 20 years and I have never been able to get a lame or single-edge razor blade, or a small serrated knife, to work decently. They always snag and catch in the dough, and drag the cut edges into unpleasant shapes.
This may be because I don't usually let my loaves dry out on the surface. Typically I proof free-standing and covered with plastic wrap, and I only bake one or two loaves at a time. So the surfaces tend to be wet when it's time to bake. When the hydration is high, of course, they also tend to be softer and stickier. I have started to uncover the loaves 10 or 15 minutes before bake and that helps some but not enough.
Over the years I have tried many tools, and the best one hands down is the Japanese knife in the picture above. I love Japanese kitchen knives anyway, and I have taught myself how to sharpen them. The one in the picture was designed to disjoint poultry. It has a very hard, very smooth, and very sharp blade.
The second best knife I've found is a good, sharp European style chef's knife - but you have to keep it sharp and use very fast slashing motions. It's pretty large for scoring, though, which makes it a bit clumsy.
What tools do you use for scoring? Especially those that are not based on razor blades, like a lame?
TomP
Typically I use a lame with a razor blade (baker of seville brand to be exact) nowadays, but struggled with other methods before getting one. Before the lame, and still sometimes,especially with a wetter loaf, I use(d) a pure komachi serrated tomato knife, I think I saw it here recommended by dmsnyder among others. It works pretty well, and is inexpensive.
My loaves may have a drier surface, as I usually proof in a lined basked with the fabric coated in a 50/50 mix of rice and whole wheat flours which is intended to make them not stick, but also dries the surface of the loaf. If I don't proof in a basket I proof in a couche treated with the same flour dusting. Scoring these loaves with the lame works well for me, but maybe look at the komachi if you are not a fan of lames.
I'm happy with the knife I use but it's certainly not for everyone, and it would be way too expensive if you didn't have it already. I tried a few serrated knives and they weren't up to the job on my loaves, but maybe that particular one would be.
Well, it is a razor blade, but since you asked...Each corner of the blade can handle something like 100 scores or so before I mark it with an 'X' and change corners. A pack of 10 blades last a "lifetime". I also score the dough cold and dip the tip into the scantest amount of olive oil, just for the fun of it!
The only other blade I've used is a serrated bread knife to score a Ziggy (Abel Sierra referenced term) and a Jewish Deli Rye. Here's a Ziggy...
https://www.strattonsales.com/product/scaritech-bread-scoring-blades/
Scaritech's lame feels lighter and more controllable to me compared to other tools.
I used to use a utility knife with a snap-off blade, but now I use a "UFO-type" lame, as pictured below.
lame.png
I felt a bit ripped off when I got it and found out it was plastic, as the Amazon listing said the handle was wood. Overall, I'm pleased with it, though I did have one incident where the threaded insert in the center detached from the plastic disc and I ended up slicing one of my fingers on the razor blade. I reglued it and haven't had any further issues.
The razor blades don't last as long for me as the do for Alfanso; I find that the corners that I've used sometimes get a little rusty, so I'll usually move on to a new corner each day that I bake, whether I've baked 2 loaves or 20. The blades aren't expensive anyway, so it's not an issue for me.
I tried utility knife blades too, but they dragged the dough like razor blades did.
I think your hypothesis that the surface of the dough stays too wet to score cleanly is a solid one. I proof my loaves in the fridge overnight, and I don't wrap them in plastic at all, I just cover it with the same tea towel that lines the banneton. Maybe you could drape a thin towel over your free-standing loaf while it proofs instead of using plastic?
The only time I every have the razor blade drag through the dough is when I make panettone, which I do cover with plastic while it proofs.
In the 3 years I've been baking, my experience has been like Tom's -- & I never cling wrap dough in the fridge. I've tried serrated knives & straight ones, hand held razor blades and blades on a stick. All of them have serious drag. For a while, I considered watching slasher films to see if they hold lessons in technique. But the most successful thing I did is bake more loaves seam-side-up. The result of that choice is crusts that are more chaotic, but that kind-of mirrors the rest of my life, so ... all good, I guess.
Rob
I could do that. When I refrigerator-retard a loaf in a banneton I sometimes do cover with a towel. Between the towel and the cold, of course, the surface is firmer. I've watched a lot of video of artisan bakeries and their loaves are often uncovered for longish times before slashing, or even uncovered for the entire proofing period.
I think I started covering with wrap a long time ago because I thought that letting the surface dry would restrict the volume of rise during proofing, and that maybe the weight of a towel (getting heavier as it absorbs water) might too. Obviously those things don't stop people from getting great loaves!
OTOH I also have gotten a drier surface that was still sticky enough below the outer layer to drag during slashing.
To tell the the truth, having to handle and dispose of those razor blades makes me nervous, so as long as my trusty Japanese knife does a good job I'm happy to stay with it. I can't do some of those nice little decorative slashes with it though.
What you’re saying is if I drink a bottle of Baileys it’s probably not a good idea to change my blade? 🙄🫣😆🥃🍸
especially if your wife has a fast track to the ER.
That’s only for when I finish cooking something in the oven with a pan and forget it’s hot and burn 🔥 my hand 🫣
there were a couple of things that helped me with scoring. Dough dragging on the blade prior was a regular occurrence for me. One was the discovery that a drier surface makes it easier so I don't use plastic or other impermeable covering to cover the proofing loaves. Loaves proofed seams up in baskets are especially pleasant to score after they're flipped out of the baskets. I usually use a cotton or linen liner covered with rice flour. I never tried retarding my loaves. The other thing was getting Feather brand razor blades. I forget where I saw the recommendation but they do seem to work better. The other brand was KAI and both are made in japan.
I’ve always used a version of a lame. I own one of the round UFO style ones that I use most of the time now but I have several other more traditional ones that I use as well. I always bulk ferment my dough in the refrigerator and shape and bake the next day. I’ve only had issues scoring if the dough is a high hydration or I accidentally over fermented it. Benny likes to put his in the refrigerator or freezer for a short time to help make it easier so that might be worth a shot. If you want more intricate designs yiu need to use some style of a razor as a knife won’t “cut” it 😆
I've been using a grapefruit knife for scoring. It has a rounded tip that gently rises and serrated edges. It's not perfect but neither were the pumpkin knife, scalpel, or the ceramic blade paring knife.They're priced starting around $7 and go up depending on the handle construction and quality of the blade material.