How do you use a bread lame to score dough?
When you have a comfortable hold of bread lame, it is easy to control as you score the dough. Hold the lame at 30° to 50° angle depending the type of bread you bake. Make a ½ inch deep slash on the surface of the dough, with only the front corner of the blade touches the dough.
How to use a bread lame?
When you have a comfortable hold of bread lame, it is easy to control as you score the dough. Hold the lame at 30° to 50° angle depending the type of bread you bake.
What is a lame score in baking?
Lame, pronounced /læm/ LAHM means “blade” in French. It used to score the dough just before it is placed in the oven. This is done to control the expansion of the dough as it bakes.
What type of scoring pattern should I use when baking bread?
What type of scoring pattern you use will in part depend on the shape of the loaf of bread you're baking. A round boule, for instance, will often get an X-shaped score, or one resembling a hashtag symbol, while a long baguette will traditionally get a series of diagonal slashes.
What is bread scoring?
How to score dough with a straight blade?
How to cut a dough with scissors?
Why do bread bakers score dough?
How to score with a curved blade?
How to score a dough knife?
Which way do you score dough?
See 4 more
About this website
How do I get a perfect score on bread?
Scoring bread is easiest with a sharp implement. You can use a sharp paring knife or kitchen scissors to snip lines into the top of the unbaked bread boule. Or you can use a tool that professional bakers use to score, called a bread lame. It's essentially a razor blade affixed to a handle for easy maneuvering.
How do you score bread for Beginners?
To make a wheat score, dust the loaf with flour and press a knife into the dough to mark a line for the stem, then make a series of nips either side of the stem which will open up into the ears of wheat. Finally, to stop the pattern from splitting, make a long slash down one side.
What is a scoring lame?
A lame (/lɑːm, læm/) is a double-sided blade that is used to slash the tops of bread loaves in baking. A lame is used to score (also called slashing or docking) bread just before the bread is placed in the oven.
How do you score bread without dragging it?
Another way to stop the drag on the dough is to lubricate the blade. You don't need this every time, but it's helpful if you have a particular dough with a high hydration level. You can lubricate with water or with oil (any cooking oil is fine).
What happens if you dont score bread?
If you don't score your loaf, it will still expand, but in a jagged pattern. Or it will find a less desirable weak point: This crack along the side of my loaf is common in breads baked in a bread pan BECAUSE the dough exploits a weak point along the side created by the shaping process.
Why does my bread deflate when I score it?
So why does bread deflate when scored? The most common reason for bread deflating after scoring is over-proofed dough. There is a lot of excess gas accumulated in an over-proofed loaf, which is all released when scored. Other reasons include the dough being overly wet and scoring the dough too deep or too shallow.
How often should you change the blade on your bread lame?
Make sure your blade is very sharp, change your blades every 3-4 uses. It can help to wet your blade, particularly if your dough is especially sticky. Having a bowl or cup of water nearby is always handy when scoring your dough. Position the dough so that cutting away or inward is comfortable.
Do you score bread before or after proofing?
In bread-making, scoring comes last in the process. You score the bread after you knead and after proofing, right before you put your loaf into the oven.
Why is a bakers lame curved?
The curve of the blade encourages a flap of dough to form when sliced, and it's this flap that gets pushed upward and peels back as the dough rises in the oven.
Should I oil my bread lame?
You can apply oil or butter on the lame blade before scoring to make sure the dough doesn't stick to the lame. After scoring, spray the dough soaked in water, especially spray a lot of water on the score to make it expand well during baking.
Do I really need a bread lame?
Slash and learn. You don't need a specialty lame (French for “blade”) to make professional-level bread at home, but it certainly helps in creating those telltale slash marks. You need a truly razor-sharp edge to make a clean cut; even a sharp paring knife will drag as it moves through the wet dough.
Can I use an Exacto knife to score bread?
Use an X-Acto knife to score the top of a loaf instead of a French blade called a lame. Use a heavy skillet, preheated in the oven, as a baking stone for a round loaf. Use a spray bottle to create steam, instead of a pan of water or the skillet/ice cube method.
Should I score bread in a loaf pan?
Not only does scoring help produce good bread, it also allows you to give a unique and decorative touch to each loaf. By slashing particular patterns in the top of the loaf, you can produce a striking, artistic effect that makes your loaves look like they were baked by a professional.
Do I need to score bread before baking?
Scoring is the process of cutting a slash in the surface of bread dough before baking. Bread dough rapidly expands when it is first placed in the oven (an effect known as “oven spring”), and scoring controls this expansion. Bakers score their loaves to prevent them from cracking—and to give the dough a helpful boost.
Do you score bread before or after proofing?
In bread-making, scoring comes last in the process. You score the bread after you knead and after proofing, right before you put your loaf into the oven.
How deep should you score bread?
There is no need to press hard and score excessively deep, but the cut does need to be deep enough so the surface of the dough doesn't fuse back together when baking —somewhere between 1/4" and 1/2" deep.
Bread Scoring Basics: How to Score a Loaf of Bread
Food Bread Scoring Basics: How to Score a Loaf of Bread. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 2 min read
How to choose bread lame?
When you choose your bread lame, you should choose one to create the shape, depth, and length you want. Some people with big hands will choose a long half bread lame while some people like to use only short lame or without half. Some people are used to using curved lame, and some prefer straight lame.
What are the considerations when choosing bread lame?
The most important considerations when choosing bread lame are the depth of the cut and the rigidity of your lame.
When To Use The Bread Lame?
It is not always possible to use bread lame in the bread-making process.
How to use a razor lame?
To prepare to use the razor lame, insert the razor lame over one end of the bread lame. While slightly flexing the blade, push the blade through the final opening of the blade. When properly fitted, the razor blade will have a slight curvature.
Why do bakers use curved bread?
Many professional bakers prefer to use the curved bread lame because they have a lot of slashing to do on the dough.
How to score bread flat?
When scoring, be careful not to press down, but make an action like slashing a lame on the surface of the dough. Pressing the blade will make the bread flatten. It will be best if you score two times by the bread lame. First, you make a light score on the dough. Then, you score deeper.
What is a curved lame?
Curved Bread Lame (Razor Blade) Some bakers find that the curved blade cuts more easily under the dough surface than the straight blade. This blade is thinner, suitable for design bread, especially French bread and sourdough bread. You can create pattern bread with intricate motifs using the curved lame.
When Should You Use A Bread Lame?
When we shape or place bread dough on a flat surface and bake it, we often see that the surface of the bread cracks. This cracking or bursting occurs at the weak points of the dough.
How To Use A Bread Lame: Easy Guideline For Newbie
Many people think that bread lame only helps to make the bread more eye-catching. However, it also helps the baker to improve the baking quality of the bread.
Tips And Precautions When Using A Bread Lame
It is essential to apply oil or water to the bread lame before you use it to score the dough of the bread. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the lame and will provide you with a nicer and cleaner bread score.
Conclusion
For both professional and novice bakers, a bread lame is an essential tool. It allows them to control the expansion of the bread and showcase their creativity on the bread.
How to use wooden bread lame?
How to use the wooden bread lame? When you have a comfortable hold of bread lame, it is easy to control as you score the dough. Hold the lame at 30° to 50° angle depending the type of bread you bake. Make a ½ inch deep slash on the surface of the dough, with only the front corner of the blade touches the dough.
Why do you use lame dough?
It used to score the dough just before it is placed in the oven. This is done to control the expansion of the dough as it bakes. It is particularly used for boules and baguettes. A quality lame has comfortable handle to give your hand a firm grip.
What is scoring bread?
Scoring is a way of making shallow cuts in the tops of the unbaked bread dough right before baking it. What you see as a result when the bread comes out of the oven is anything from a simple curved ridge to an elaborate array of leaves or even stalks of wheat. But scoring bread is more than just decorative. Let's take a look at the whys, hows and ...
What is a lame knife?
Professional bakers use a special tool called a lame (pronounced like the word "lamb"), which is basically a straight or curved razor blade mounted on a short handle. Straight blades produce cuts that are straight and form straight slashes when the dough expands, while curved blades produce almond-shaped slashes and are perfect for producing an "ear."
What is it called when a bread loaf ruptures?
These ruptures can occur anywhere, and produce large, raggedly shaped holes in the top of the bread. Alternately, you might have what's called a blowout, where an appendage-like lump comes protruding out of the top, side or even the bottom of the loaf.
How to make an ear in bread?
An ear is achieved by using a curved blade and holding it at a low angle (about 30 degrees) that gets just under the skin of the dough , rather than a straight cut which releases the bread laterally.
What happens when you shape a dough ball?
When you properly shape a ball of dough, you're creating a very taut surface on it. And when subjected to the sudden burst of gas that's produced by the yeast when the dough enters the hot oven (an effect known as "oven spring"), that surface can easily rupture along any weak spots in the dough ball. These ruptures can occur anywhere, and produce ...
What is the ultimate goal of a straight slash?
But whether you go for the artistic approach or simply opt for a single straight slash, the ultimate goal is to vent the gas in a controlled manner so that the dough rises in a consistent way.
What is the purpose of scoring?
Scoring is a way of controlling where these ruptures occur, so that the gas can escape without destroying the bread.
Why Is A Bread Lame Curved?
While not all lames are curved the majority of them are and for a good reason. The curve allows you to score the dough with a pronounced ear which is the raised area of the crust. To achieve this the curved blade usually forces a flap of dough to form during slicing. During the baking process, this flap usually gets pushed back and peels back to develop the ear.
What materials are used in bread lame?
Materials Used - They come in various materials such as walnut wood, plastic and even stainless steel. The choice of the material should be dictated by the price which in turn dictates the quality. If you are looking for a long-term bread lame for daily use, then you should consider premium materials.
What is a lame blade?
A lame is a double-sided blade mounted on a handle that’s used to slash the top layer of risen dough just before baking in artisan baking. This process is referred to as scoring or docking as it depicts the direction in which the dough will expand.
Where are Saint Germain bread lames made?
Saint Germain has been operational from 2012, and their products are made in Vietnam. The firm is offering premium quality bread lames which rely on handcrafted wood handles and a stainless-steel stick that’s built to last.
What is the purpose of controlling the direction in which bread extends and how it blooms?
Controlling the direction in which the bread extends and how it blooms to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
What is the success of designing a loaf?
The success of your loaf design cannot be attributed to a single process; instead, it’s the culmination of each stage that influences the final outcome. Today we will be focusing on what happens after you have prepared the dough (proofed and dusted) all the way to the point when you start baking.
Why do breads need to be scored?
However, the main aim of all this is to increase the bread’s aesthetics and to provide room for expansion during baking.
Why is scoring bread dough important?
First and foremost, scoring bread dough with decorative cuts serves an important purpose: it guides a loaf to rise in a consistent, controlled, and optimal manner. But from there, let your creativity run free.
How to cut a loaf of bread in a round?
Start at the top of the round (the side farthest from you) and begin making diagonal slashes in series from top to bottom. I like to add a gentle curve as the cuts progress from top to bottom; this curved set looks nice when the loaf expands up and outward in the oven. Then, repeat for the other side of the stalk where each cut matches its pair to the side.
What flour should I use for a bread loaf?
I prefer to use a mixture of 50% white rice flour and 50% all-purpose flour.
What angle should a knife be for cross and side slashes?
Similarly to the first design, the cross and side slashes are best done with a straight blade angled at 90° to the dough’s surface.
What is the best scoring implement for a box top?
The preferred scoring implement for this design is again a straight blade. However, if you want the “box top” to lift up and off the rest of the dough, a curved blade could be used to create a small lip for each edge of the box.
Can you use double score on whole wheat bread?
This design can also be useful for dough you know won’t spring up high when baked — perhaps it’s a whole wheat recipe or there’s a large percentage of mix-ins. The double score usually opens nicely even with these types of breads.
Do double slashes need more scoring depth?
Note that a single and double slash do require a little more scoring depth, but the others should just break the surface so you see the interior of the dough, with the outside slowly splaying open. When finished, take a look at the design.
How to score bread?
Scoring bread is easiest with a sharp implement. You can use a sharp paring knife or kitchen scissors to snip lines into the top of the unbaked bread boule. Or you can use a tool that professional bakers use to score, called a bread lame. It’s essentially a razor blade affixed to a handle, for easy maneuvering. If you have a razor blade, you can even use that without a handle, as long as you work carefully. Martin Philip prefers a simple lame with a metal or wood handle, like King Arthur’s Black Walnut Lame or Double Sided Lame.
What is the term for bread that has a crisp, crackly crust?
It usually applies to things like crusty white bread or sourdough boules, the style of bread with a crisp, crackly crust and a tender interior. “In the heat of the oven the loaf wants to expand; that expansion is also known as oven spring. If you don’t cut the dough, the loaf will stay smaller but still have a blowout somewhere on its side,” ...
What is bread scoring?
Scoring bread dough is yet another part of the baking process where we can each leave our own individual touch on the final baked loaf. Some bakers opt for a single, long slash (my favorite), whereas others prefer lots of small slashes that together form a beautiful, artistic design. Regardless of the scoring choice, the goal is to guide the dough into rising predictably, consistently, and optimally.
How to score dough with a straight blade?
To score using a straight blade, hold the blade lightly in the hand and at a 90-degree angle (perpendicular) to the dough. If doing few cuts, score slightly deeper than a curved blade and after doing so you’ll notice the dough relax open and outward.
How to cut a dough with scissors?
Hold the scissors in your hand with your fingers through the loops, then angle them to about 15 degrees to the dough surface. Perform a series of snips from the top of the dough to the bottom in a single, straight line where each snip starts where the previous one left off.
Why do bread bakers score dough?
Most bread bakers score the dough with a blade (or lame) to create a weak point and direct the rapid expansion. Without this step, dough can open in unexpected areas and in a rather chaotic manner. We sometimes desire this type of ragged opening, but if you want the optimal height in a controlled and consistent manner, scoring is the way to go.
How to score with a curved blade?
To score using a curved blade, I prefer to hold the tool securely at about a 30-degree angle to the dough surface. This angle, in concert with the slight upward curve of the blade's cutting edge , will promote the formation of the small flap of dough.
How to score a dough knife?
I hold the blade lightly between my fingers, but in a firmly locked hand, and move with a single, smooth cutting motion. If the blade drags against the dough, don’t fret. Continue with the cut and things will typically smooth out in the bake.
Which way do you score dough?
For example, some bakers prefer to score with the cutting side of the blade angled away from the body, whereas others (myself included) prefer to score so the blade cuts inward toward the body. How we score partly depends on how the dough is positioned in front of us: if the dough is horizontal to the body it may be easier for us to cut away, and conversely, if it’s vertical (as mine always is) cutting inward might be a better choice.
