A few small questions probably not deserving of their own post:
- How often does one replace a lame? I'm doing two to three loaves a week, fairly wet ones.
- Does it matter if the shaped dough lands slightly off-center in the combo cooker when you tip it in? I've been trying to improve my aim so the dough lands squarely in the middle, but it usually ends up closer to one side or the other. Does this inhibit a rise?
- I retard my shaped dough overnight in the fridge. Should one cover the dough with something---plastic wrap, a plastic lid, etc---or leave it uncovered? I've been covering but I've also seen people leave it uncovered.
I'll leave the lame question for those who know how to use it. At this time I'm using an old fashioned straight razor. And I'm really liking it.
I'd think that if the dough is not coming out of the pot distorted, then you're OK. But have you thought about a Dough Sling? It is simply a piece of parchment paper that the dough is turned onto. Then by grabbing the sides it can be accurately lowered into the cooker.
Definitely cover the refrigerated dough. I read a lot about "food safe" bags, but to be honest I use a garbage bag. Preferably unused. LOL
Dan
If you decide on a double edge shaving razor blade, you will get 4 distinct cutting tips out of a single blade. How long will each tip last is the real question. I typically get as many as 60-80 scores with each tip of my lame, so it lasts for a long time. The duration of sharpness will also be dependent upon the amount of fruit, nuts, and other solids that the blade will encounter in each score. This will naturally dull the blade quicker, but not by all that much.
Here is my "sophisticated" set-up.
Leaving the dough uncovered has two bad effects:
I use a straight razor too. I get a package of 100 of them from Amazon, and get two sharp corners per blade, so it lasts a long, long time.
I also use a parchment sling to lower loaves into hot iron pots. No burns and no 'oops, missed' moments. Sometimes they are off centre but never seem to come out looking weird.
If I do proof shape loaves in the fridge (more often do the bulk ferment in the fridge), I cover the basket with a clean cloth, then put the whole thing into a plastic bag. This keeps the moisture in without getting condensation on the dough or letting wet plastic stick to the dough. Also, take care using garbage bags as they are often treated with germ-suppressing chemicals to reduce odors. You don't want stuff killing all the good bacteria in your bread dough! If the loaves are on a tray or in long bread pans, I'll sometimes cover them with greased plastic wrap before putting in a bag.
They look like shower caps and you can get them at the dollar store. I used to use plastic ziplock bags but they were a pain to keep clean and dry. These bowl covers are quick to use and I just flip them inside out to dry. Easy peasy!
Don't want uncovered dough picking up food odors or dryness in the fridge. I have a dedicated set of CoverMate (Smart & Final) for dough. They fit all my loaf pans, bannetons & mixing bowls. The largest covers the long rectangle Brotform from Breadtopia. They last a long time and are food safe.
Ditto on the parchment sling, and you've reminded me I probably need a new lame blade.