Here's How You Should Be Scoring Sourdough Bread

Baking homemade sourdough bread was a trend that many of us got onboard during the pandemic (although sourdough is nothing new for Americans), and it was a pretty satisfying way to spend some of that spare time. If like me, you continued making it post pandemic, there's probably a lot you've learnt in the meantime, like what it means when your sourdough starter is ripe. Getting the taste of sourdough just right is one thing, but getting it to look good is another art form in itself. And a lot of it comes from how you score your bread.

Scoring your loaf doesn't necessarily have to be hard, but it does require a bread lame or knife, and a little precision. Once your dough is ready to be baked, flip your dough over as you remove it from your basket or other proofing vessel. Make sure the dough is placed lengthwise in front of you and place the whole blade in the middle of the dough, on the end furthest away from you. Lift the blade so only the tip is touching the dough, and make one clean cut down the middle until you've reached the edge closest to you. Scoring your dough will not only make it look like bakery quality sourdough, but it will also help the bread rise and expand fully in a controlled direction, rather than bursting in random places.

When scoring the bread, you can make a straight cut, or curve it slightly as you slice if this feels more comfortable. As long as you're slicing from one end to the other, both of these methods are fine. To ensure that the bread can expand fully when baking, extend the top and bottom of the line to reach halfway down the side of the dough. If you want to make a deeper score, you can make a second pass following the same line with your blade. Remember, you should be able to score your loaf in one clean cut, without any extra back and forth slicing. If you can't slice it easily, make sure your bread lame or knife is sharp enough.

The temperature of your dough before scoring also matters, and a cold dough will make it much easier to slice. Allowing your dough to proof in the fridge and cool to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit will stop the blade from sticking to the dough as it slices through. The cooler your dough, the less effort it will take to score. Overly wet dough can also be trickier to score. If yours seems quite hydrated, avoid slicing too deep into the dough as it might open up too much. With these tips and a little practice, your sourdough will look like its come straight from the bakery.