If You Don't Have A Bread Lame, You Can Still Score Your Homemade Sourdough

As one of the best breads to use when making grilled cheese or as a side for basically any dish, sourdough has taken the bread world by storm. With its crusty exterior and a light, airy interior, a well-baked loaf of sourdough is a baker's dream. The lovely lift of such a loaf is facilitated by scoring, which can be easily done at home even without a bread lame.

Nathan Myhrvold, founder of Modernist Cuisine and co-author of "Modernist Bread at Home," has shared key guidance for scoring your homemade sourdough in such a situation. From scissors to scalpels, he has seen a wide variety of tools get the job done. According to Myhrvold, the primary characteristic one should be prioritizing when choosing a scoring tool is its sharpness. "Many tools work well for scoring, but the primary characteristic for whichever one you choose is that it must be razor-sharp," he said. "Also, thin blades work better than thick ones because they catch less on the dough and produce cleaner cuts."

Myhrvold explained that curved blades can also score flaps more easily, but that serrated ones may snag more. Once the scoring is done and it is time to bake, you might want to consider using ice cubes to get that crisp crust on your homemade sourdough.

There are as many scoring tools as there are fish in the sea, but as long as your scoring tool has some of the above characteristics, you are sure to successfully score. "I've seen many other tools used, too, though each has drawbacks: serrated paring knives, X-Acto blades, scalpels, even a wooden coffee stirrer joined to a razor blade," Nathan Myhrvold says. 

According to Myhrvold, scissors are a popular choice for creating shapes and patterns. If you choose to use scissors, he recommends keeping in mind that the deep and wide cuts might cause deflation in the loaf. A serrated paring knife or even a serrated pocket knife are also good options, but the thick blades may not cut cleanly and could de-gas the loaf.

If scalpels are your scoring tool of choice, Myhrvold cautions against a cheaper scalpel as it may have a less sharp blade. "You wouldn't want your surgeon using a dull knife, and you shouldn't either," he explains. Once your loaf is scored and put to bake all you need to do is keep an eye out for the signs your homemade bread is fully baked.