Bread Scoring: Make beautiful patterns on your bread

Ever wondered how those bakers achieve beautifully made patterns on your favourite bread loaf? 

No need for a fancy kitchen cutting tool. You just need a truly razor-sharp edged knife to do the trick. You can also use craft knives or scalpel blades since they’re cheap, effective and easy to find too. Keep in mind that the thinner the blade, the easier it is to slash the dough plus it will lessen the chances of dragging and not having a sharp finish. 

My top tip for preventing dragging when slashing your dough is to lubricate the knife or blade with a small amount of water or oil.

To slash your dough, make sure that your loaf has finished proving and is almost ready to be baked. To test if your dough is ready, lightly press the dough using your fingertips. When it’s ready for slashing the dough should bounce back. 

I also find that letting your dough rest for 3-5 minutes after scoring before you pop it into the oven gives a better expansion and definition of the pattern.

I am not a pro but I’ve had my share of hits and misses. So I hope these tips will help you get started in scoring your bread.

Here are some basic patterns to try. They make beautiful patterns and are ideal for first-timers:

1. Many Small Cuts

• This design is comprised of a series of small cuts intended to mimic that of a wheat stalk.

Source: blog.kingarthurflour.com

2. Chequered Cut

• Simple straight cuts that are easy to do but give out a totally beautiful result. 

Source: inksugarspice.wordpress.com

3. Cross

• A centre cross that is cut slightly deeper than those at the sides will mean the centre area will open dramatically.

Source: blog.kingarthurflour.com

4. Simple Double Slash

• A stunning double slash pattern that will look perfect for an oval-shaped bread

Source: blog.kingarthurflour.com

5. Tic-tac-toe

• This is one of the most basic scoring patterns you can use to make beautiful artisan loaves of bread. You can never go wrong.

Source: www.thefreshloaf.com