The Simple, Elegant Scoring Pattern For Your First Loaf Of Bread

Before a loaf of bread is baked, the baker uses a small blade to make a shallow slice through its top and/or side. This process, known as scoring, helps control the bread's "oven spring," or how it rises when exposed to the high heat of the oven. You should always score bread dough to make a controlled path of least resistance for steam and gas to escape from the bread, which would otherwise break it open in unsightly or uneven ways. Besides the functionality of scoring bread dough, though, the score can also serve as a decoration on top of your loaf. It can be hard to perfect the technique, though, so it's best to start with a foolproof design before jumping into intricate wheat stalks or flowers. The easiest scoring pattern to accomplish successfully is a hashtag.

The hashtag bread score requires only four straight cuts, so it's hard to mess up. Hold the blade of your scoring tool at a 45-degree angle and slice two parallel lines on the top of your loaf. That's simple enough, but how deep should you score your bread dough? Anywhere from ⅛ to ¼ of an inch thick will work; the most important tip is to make each slice even in depth.

When scoring bread dough, it's important to make shallow and quick cuts. Slow cuts can cause the blade to get stuck in the dough, creating tears along your score that will affect its design. The tool you use can help achieve even and seamless scores. A bread lame is essentially a very thin and sharp razor blade attached to a wooden handle; they are affordable and worth the investment if you make bread regularly. In a pinch, a paring knife makes an easy lame alternative to score your bread.

Dough that is just slightly chilled will be easier to score, as it will hold its shape better than warm, malleable dough. Dusting flour on top of your dough before you score it will accentuate the pattern on the loaf once baked. Once you master the hashtag and get a feel for how to score bread dough, you can experiment with more details designs for your most beautiful loaves yet.