When most people hear “score,” they think of a three-pointer, shot, or hat trick. But the bakers? For us, the note means one thing: bread. From functional cuts that improve the volume and texture of our loaves to decorative choices meant to add beauty, scoring is one of the most influential steps in bread baking. But is it as simple as a few quick cuts and you're done? Not enough. Let's look at examples of what to do and what to avoid to help master this essential skill.
But first, what is a note?
Marking is the baker's word cutting the outside of the loaves before baking. With one razor (known as a “lame” but pronounced “lahm”) or sometimes a pair of scissors, cuts are made that guide the expansion of the bread in the oven.
Why is annotation important?
During the initial stage of baking, the temperature of the bread rises, yeast activity increases and the moisture in the dough turns into steam. These factors cause the bread to expand significantly in a process known as “oven spring”. Good oven spring leads to bread with an open interior and thin crusts. But without a point—a weak point on the outside of the loaf that guides the opening process—the spring of the oven is limited. For the best bread possible, note is essential.
Marking vs. not marking
Martin Philip
Let's compare a marked and an unmarked loaf from the same batch of baguettes. Here, the top image is a baguette that I haven't marked and, at the bottom, a marked loaf. While the marked loaf was fully expanded and reached greater overall volume, the uncut loaf was clearly limited – its interior is narrow and dense. Lacking a place to open, there was no opportunity for further expansion after the crust was set.
But loaf size isn't the only reason to score your loaf. While a loaf that rises well in the oven is certainly beautiful, WITHIN of bread is also significantly affected by scoring.
Martin Philip
In the image above, the bread marked at the bottom is open, well expanded and light, while the other is dense in texture. For the best crumb, score your bread!
But you don't just have to score your bread—you have to score it well. Here are some other factors to consider.
Tools: knife versus razor marking
When marking, it is important to use the right tool. While you can technically score bread using a kitchen knife, knives require more pressure to slice the dough than a lame because they have thicker (and usually duller) blades. The extra pressure needed to make knife cuts compresses the bread and results in serrated cuts that are deeper than necessary
In contrast, the sharper and thinner blade cuts with less pressure, penetrating only the thin surface of the dough accurately; this leaves the rest of the patty intact and ready for maximum oven spring. For best results, I like a blade with replaceable blades so I always know I have the sharpest tool possible.
Martin Philip
In the baguettes above, the limp-cut loaf has a nice sharp point on the bottom with a sliding shape, while the knife-cut loaf is lumpy because the blade has dragged and cut too deep. (More on depth of cut, below.) The result is a flatter, perforated loaf with a jagged, uneven opening.
Cutting Placement: Good vs. Bad
We also want to put cuts where they matter most. Placement depends on the shape of the noodle: Me balls (round loaves), you want the cut to be symmetrical, releasing the bread evenly in all directions. ABOUT baguettes, should be a series of five to seven symmetrical cuts, evenly spaced along the center line of the baguette and overlapping by approximately one-third. ABOUT bastardsa slit that runs lengthwise down the middle of the loaf is a great place to start.
Martin Philip
In the image below, my cuts are well spaced, overlapping slightly along the center line of the dough to create a focused layer of weakness. By lining up the cuts, we direct the bread to expand evenly, producing a beautiful and functional result.
In the image above, my cuts are misplaced. They don't overlap enough and their angle is more across the loaf (I call this mistake the “barber's cut” as it reminds me of a barber's pole), rather than down the midline. In this case, the cuts do not help the bread to expand and the appearance is not that of a classic baguette. For more on crop placement and additional options, here are some useful tips.
Depth of cut: very shallow vs. very deep vs. straight
Like cutting placement, different doughs also require different cutting depths. We can simplify the options for two types of bread with different requirements.
The first category consists of bread, like many of us sour dough, which are cooled after shaping and before baking. Because those loaves lose moisture in the refrigerator, they develop a thicker crust and thus require a deeper cut—up to 1/2″ or even 3/4″ in some cases. If we don't cut these cold loaves deep enough, we won't release the bread completely. (Ours Country bread the video has some examples.)
The second category is breads that have the final proof at room temperature, such as baguettes OR saplings. Because their skin is thinner after correction, they require a shallower incision, such as 1/4″. Classic meat video is a great place to see light touch in action.
Let's look at examples of very shallow, very deep and proper points with an insulated baguette at room temperature.
Martin Philip
The bottom loaf isn't cut deep enough – it's carved, rather than scored. And the result is that I did not cut the skin with each cut. As the bread tried to rise as well as possible, with a deeper cut the points would be more defined and the expansion more even.
In the main example, it's the opposite problem. I purposely cut very deeply, and you can see that the deep cut didn't leave the dough with much energy; I let go very completely. As a result, the bread spread horizontally, opening rather than energetically rising up.
And finally, on the medium baguette, I found a balance between the two extremes, cutting the skin, but not much beyond that. The bread opened with nice expansion and good definition.
Steam vs. no steam
Finally, let's talk about the role of steam as it relates to scoring. If we don't steam, the note won't have much effect. Even if you've stacked your bread perfectly, you need moisture in the oven to allow the vents to open and the bread to expand before the crust sets. without steameven the well-marked loaves will be missed.
Martin Philip
So, two baguettes. The top is baked without steam and the other is a well-boiled bread. Similar to the results of the scored and unscored loaves, you can see that the volume, expansion, beauty and crumb are compromised by the lack of steam. (For more information on steaming and the benefits, see our guide to steaming bread steam at home.)
For the best bread possible, you not only have to score, but you have to score right. Additionally, to maintain those results, you need to add moisture to the oven as the bread bakes—it's the one-two combination required for the best bread.
Still curious about scoring and how to improve? Here are some options:
Cover photo and food styling by Martin Philip.
