Apparently, I have a fear of scoring, although it’s not what you think. In this particular case, I cringe when I have to put razor blade to rising dough, fearful that I will deflate the perfect loaf.
I used to own a curved-blade lame. After several household moves, it seems to have disappeared. To be honest, I could never get the hang of using it, preferring, instead, to use my serrated bread knife. Recently, I watched a video where the baker used a straight-blade lame to create beautiful designs, so I wondered if that might make the difference. I ordered a new lame, one which allowed me the choice of a curved or straight blade.
As a problem-solver by nature, I also studied the effects of surface tension on the rising dough. I wet the dough, which sort of worked. Then, I floured the dough, which worked better. In all, I practiced on four different loaves of bread, experimenting with depth of cuts and design. No ears this time, so I need to work on angles.
Round 1:
This loaf helpfully formed its own pedestal/stand
Round 2:
Round 3:
This loaf attempted to create a pedestal from the top. Not helpful.
Round 4:
Tried to score more deeply. Flat. No ears. Sigh.
This was a good challenge that helped to reduce my fears of slashing and scoring. I still have more practicing to do, however. Elizabeth, of Blog from OUR kitchen, was the inspiring baker behind this month’s challenge. Stop by all of the Babes’ blogs to see their beautiful scoring designs.
- Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth (Kitchen of the Month)
- A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
- My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna
- Bread Experience – Cathy
- Thyme for Cooking - Katie
- My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
- Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle
