Scoring, Slashing Sourdough
I’ve already posted lots of photos on scoring/slashing loaves in this post here, but Nicola asked me last night to show her how, and since I had 2 loaves already in the fridge for baking this morning it would be easy to video scoring them…well easy because I had a second pair of hands to hold the phone, normally I don’t.
The video is very rough and ready and unfortunately not showing a close up of the cut, but it does show how I don’t cut down into the dough but instead sideways. This sideways cut is what will give room for the dough underneath to rise and cause the nice rip effect, if you cut too deep into the dough itself you’re doing the work on its behalf. The important thing is to give it a good clean opening for the steam and gas to rise the dough through it.
You don’t have to create that “skin” as I did with the cross loaf, but if you do, notice how I’ve cut sideways on both sides going under the surface of the dough which then creates the cut to make that “peel back” affect once baked.
