path: root/02-19-scoring-bread.md

#### Scoring Bread

**What is scoring?** “Scoring” is the word used to describe the cuts
made in a loaf of bread before it is baked. Some breads are not
scored. For example many loaves baked in pans are not. However, almost
all free-formed “hearth breads” are scored.

**When is scoring done?** Scoring is generally performed just prior to
loading the loaves in the oven. French rye breads (pains de siegle)
are sometimes scored right after shaping, before proofing.

**Why are breads scored?** Intentionally creating a weak spot on the
surface of the loaf prevents the loaf from bursting at weak spots
created during shaping.

The type of scoring performed controls the direction in which the
bread will expand during “oven spring.”

The pattern of cuts made, the angle at which they are made and the
depth of the cuts influences the rate of expansion and the formation
of an “ear” - a raised flap of crust at the edge of a cut.

The pattern of cuts can create a pleasing visual pattern on the
surface of the loaf. While there are some very traditional patterns,
for example for baguettes, the baker can use the scoring pattern to
identify the type of bread or to create an unique pattern
that identifies the loaf as coming from his or her oven.

**What do you use to score bread?** The blade used to score bread is
often referred to as a lame (pronounced "lahm.") This is simply a
French word with means “blade.” Breads may be scored with straight or
curved razor blades, either held in the hand or mounted on a handle.
Scoring may be performed with other sharp, straight blades, even with
a straight razor. Some bakers prefer serrated blades.

For some types of scoring, a straight blade is preferred.  Straight
bladed knives are preferred for cuts made with the blade held
perpendicular to the loaf's surface. This sort of cut is generally
used for round loaves ("boules"). For other types of scoring, a curved
blade works better. Curved lames are generally used for long breads
like baguettes which are scored with cuts parallel to the long axis of
the loaf.

Video on Choosing a Blade: <http://youtu.be/vF7eFluzHXc>.

**How are the cuts made?** The scoring stroke should be firm, rapid,
smooth and decisive.  For the beginner, it may help to take "practice
swings" or to visualize the movements and totally focus one's
attention before making the cuts. Understanding the functions of
scoring and the effects of the variables described can help, but there
is no substitute for experience. In this respect, scoring bread is no
different from an athletic skill or any other art or craft. (Tourist:
"Please, sir, can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" New
Yorker: "Practice, practice, practice.")

The cuts should generally be ¼ to ¼ inch deep. A wet,
sticky dough requires a more shallow cut than one would make
in a dryer dough.

**Scoring a boule (round loaf):** The angle the blade of the knife
makes with the surface of the loaf is important in determining how the
cut will open up. If you want the cuts to spread equally from the cut
and to open quickly, as is traditional with round loaves (boules), the
knife should be held vertically – at 90\degree to the surface of the
loaf.

Video on Scoring a Boule: <http://youtu.be/gnL7mvR9wFg>.

Besides the "tic-tac-toe" pattern, boules can be scored with diamond
patterns, simple crosses or much more elaborate and creative patterns.

**Scoring a long loaf (bâtard):** If you want the cuts to spread more
slowly and create an "ear," as is generally desired with long loaves
(baguettes and bâtards), the knife blade should be held at a shallow
angle with the surface of the loaf, at about 20-30\degree or so. Many
find using a curved blade helps make this type of cut. The blade is
held with the concave surface facing up (away from the loaf). A flap
of dough is created that will lift up to create an “ear” as the loaf
expands and, by lifting gradually, slows the expansion of the loaf.
This prolongs the time during which new areas of dough are exposed to
the direct heat of the oven and results in greater overall expansion –
a larger "bloom."

Video on Scoring a Bâtard: <http://youtu.be/UC5HLCWAyMo>.

**The effect of scoring on loaf shape:** 
Michael Suas, in his book "Advanced Bread & Pastry," provides some
information about how scoring patterns influence loaf shape. Scoring
is not just to make a visually pretty design on the top of a loaf. It
is also how the baker controls the direction in which the loaf
expands. This impacts the shape of the loaf cross section (rounder or
more oval), the height of the loaf and, for a boule, whether it stays
round or ends up more oblong.

According to Suas, long loaves like bâtards and baguettes are
traditionally scored parallel to their long axis. This may be a single
long cut or multiple cuts that are almost parallel and overlap
somewhat (for ¼ to ¼ of their length, generally). This pattern
promotes sideways expansion of the loaf, resulting in an oval cross
section when the loaf is sliced.

For breads with high-rye content which have lower gluten and less oven
spring, the traditional objective is to encourage a higher rise in the
oven spring resulting in a rounder cross section. This is achieved by
"sausage" or "chevron" cuts.

Boules are scored in a variety of patterns with differing effects on
how the loaf expands. The common "tic-tac-toe" pattern and a simple
cross will direct the expansion upward. More complex patterns like
diamonds result in a relatively flatter loaf.

One of most interesting effects is that scoring a boule with multiple
parallel cuts encourages expansion at a right angle to the cuts. This
results in an oblong loaf shape.

**What's the point of an ear? Controlled bloom!:** 
This topic is not about the auricular anatomy of elves (or Vulcans).
It's about scoring breads.

Scoring loaves creates a visually pleasing pattern, and it helps
control the expansion of the loaf as it bakes.

What Suas called "the classic cut" is parallel to the long axis of a
baguette or a bâtard. The cut is made with the blade at a shallow
angle to the surface of the loaf. The cut should be shallow - about
1/4 inch deep. Paradoxically, this shallow cut results in the flap
lifting better than a deeper cut would, thus forming a nice "ear."
Hamelman (pg. 80) points out that "a deep cut will simply collapse
from its own weight."

The angle of the blade is important. "If the angle is not achieved and
the cut is done with the blade vertical to the loaf, the two sides of
the dough will spread very quickly during oven spring and expose an
enormous surface area to the heat. The crust will begin to form too
soon - sometimes before the end of oven spring - penalizing the
development of the bread. If the cut is properly horizontal, the sides
of the loaf will spread slower. The layer of dough created by the
incision will partially and temporarily protect the surface from the
heat and encourage a better oven spring and development." (Suas, pg.
116.)

**In summary:** in order to achieve an optimal bloom in baguettes and
bâtards, one must attend to 3 variables when scoring them:

1. The cuts should be almost parallel to the long axis of the loaf.

2. The blade should be held at about a 30\degree angle to the surface
of the loaf.

3. The depth of the cut should be shallow - about 1/4 inch.

Variable shading of the bloomed crust confirms that the
desired slow but prolonged opening of the cut during oven
spring occurred.

**A final word:**
This tutorial focused on the mechanics of scoring, but the other steps
in bread making impact the behavior of the cuts you make and the final
appearance of your loaves. In fact, every single step, from your
choice of ingredients and their proportions – your formula – to how
you steam your oven plays a role in how your cuts will open. Your best
looking loaves will result from a series of choices that are mutually
dependent, where how you score a loaf takes into account the other
choices you have made about the formula, mixing, fermentation,
shaping, proofing and baking.