How to Score Bread Dough WITHOUT SNAGGING - 214

It's annoying isn't it. When you get ONE SHOT to score your dough and it SNAGS. I hear that. Let's make sure it never happens again :-)

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[Browncoat-K]

Thank you, Jack!

I had always covered my sourdough round with plastic when I put it in the fridge for the overnight cold prove and it would stick to the basket, no matter how well I floured, more often than not. Yesterday I covered it with a damp towel (because Utah is a far drier climate than England so I didn't have the guts to leave it "bare it to the wind") and then put it in the fridge for about a 15 hour cold prove. By the end, the towel over the round was dry and when I uncovered it, the loaf DID have a nice skin that I haven't seen before. The best part was how nicely it turned out of the basket! No sticking at all! Then the slashing went far easier as well thanks to that nice skin.

My home sourdough loaves are on the road to improvement, with many thanks to you sharing your expertise. Time to go watch more of your sourdough videos. 👍

[addammadd]

other notes:
- you can (and should) rotate your blades 3 times (180, flip, then 180). The ones I buy are numbered 1-4 at each side (super helpful). Think about it, you're only using 1/4 of a four-cornered blade at a given position.

- you can make an oblong loaf wider by slicing down the length (once/twice) or longer by slicing across (multiple cuts a few inches apart)

- there are two angles to consider; the angle of the blade as controlled by your wrist and the angle as controlled by your grip. The angle Jack discussed was the wrist. That angle should be a constant for any score. The grip angle you can change for desired result. Going perpendicular will give a smoother transition between the exposed dough and the skin. Going shallow will allow more of the skin to slip, bake at a faster rate than the rest of the dough and curl which results in those 'ears' reddit seems to care so much about which ultimately just ruin the palate of your mouth. I bake all of my family's bread so I'm less concerned with updoots than comfort ergo I tend to score perpendicular but YOU DO YOU!

- you can “correct” an ill-formed load with scoring. There will be times you 'try something new' with your forming and end up with much more tension at one area over another. You can accommodate this later and end up with a more uniform bake with creatively placed/depth(ed?) scoring.

- a 7 year old can do this (mine does, regularly) you can too.

[helenjohnson]

That’s an essential principle you emphasized about knowing your endpoint. (When I taught my youngest child to ride a bike, I made sure she understood how to stop & dismount BEFORE starting. Prevented wreckage.) Thanks for this clear advice!

[Carol_in_Spain]

So excited.
I have just made my first loaf of bread. I got a bit confused with the different 'kneading' stages but it looks good. Hope the family like it later
Thanks Jack

[trackie]

I’ve been baking my bread for 20+ years and this was very helpful. Once again, Jack, very helpful.

[KevvvDub]

When do you know it's time to replace the blade in your grignette?

[michaelwinningham]

Using more of the blade! Brilliant! Someone told me (years ago) to use just the top corner of the blade. Can't wait to see if this results in better scores. Thanks!

[ronmcc]

That's why I've always had trouble! I always just use the bloody corner of the blade!!! The next time I do it I swear I will only use the non bloodied length of the blade, and with confidence!!!
Great Video! Keep up the great work!

[paulinejoslin]

My blade is forced into a curve by the handle, is there a different technique for using a curved blade?
Thanks

[teriley]

Actually it did help. A nice pep talk before the big event. Thanks. I needed that! :)

[magpie]

Much like a surgeon making the first cut!! With confidence and knowing where to start and end. Got it x

[cynthiajohnston]

I bought your grignette and learned how to use it correctly with this video. Thanks, Jack.

[nancybyrd]

Thanks Jack! I always learn something new and useful every lesson!

[robertaburnes]

I needed this one, Jack. I've been baking your sourdough loaf since 2021 and lately I've found myself in a slashing slump, as it were. I nearly always end up with one loaf that is under-slashed, and it doesn't bloom like it should in the oven. My blade is one of those curved ones. Never paid attention to having the whole length of the blade in contact with the bread as you slash, so will try this -- and will probably get myself one of the straight ones like you use.

[dorothythorpe]

Thanks, Jack. I truly need these tips!

[Tsunami]

I made my first sourdough using the recipe in your book. Wish I could show you the result…I’m really pleased with it. Good height, open crumb, lovely taste. I got an ok oven spring but don’t have a baking stone to help. But so happy with my first sourdough.

[trishthehomesteader]

Thank you Jack!
Here you are again on bread day at Trish's.☺️👍
I like the idea of a gringette . I'm sure it's easier to handle than just a single-edged razor blade.😉
Blessings! 💜

[antbrown]

😂 just watched this and realised I’ve been doing it all wrong.🤦🏼‍♀️ I have a grignette but was only using the corner of it with variable results. Will do better next time. Thanks Jack 😊

[juliadavid]

Another great video, thank you Jack 😊

[jklphoto]

Hey Jack, can you explain when one might use a curved lame?