Learn the best way to cut sourdough bread. From best bread knives, perfect slices, to scoring techniques, here is your guide to success!
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Baking sourdough bread is a labor of love and it can be pretty frustrating to cut messy slices from your beautiful loaves of bread after you have worked so hard.
With a little bit of practice, correct technique, and the right tool, you will be able to cut the best slice in even the most crusty bread. Achieve bakery-style results with this simple guide on how to cut sourdough bread.
Best Tools to Cut Sourdough Bread
The right knife is essential for best results in getting the perfect slice of fresh bread.
A good bread knife makes all the difference when cutting sourdough bread.
Some of my favorite options to cut sourdough bread are…
- Quality sharp serrated knife
- Bow shaped serrated bread knife (I love mine from Ballerina Farm)
- Serrated electric bread knife- aka an electric carving knife
- Bread lame– alternatively, you can use a clean razor blade
- Wooden cutting board
- Cake decorating turn table
- Cooking twine
- Banneton baskets
A bread lame is a sharp razor blade used for scoring homemade bread. Scoring a deeper cut in the top of the dough helps to release gases in the bread and maintain a nice look on the top of the loaf. If even a simple score is not cut into the top, the bread will break at the weakest point as the loaf rises and a lot of steam needs to be released. For a decorative beautiful loaf of bread, a bread lame is used to make shallow cuts in the surface. The shallow cuts give you a nice decorative look and are a fun way to score homemade sourdough loaf.
A nice cutting board is essential for protecting most countertops when slicing bread
How to Cut Sourdough Bread: Slicing Guide
Depending on the type of bread you are baking, the best bread knife and technique may slightly vary. Different types of bread have different crusts, crumbs, textures, and scoring needed for a beautiful sourdough bread loaf.
Sandwich bread
Sourdough sandwich bread is one of the higher hydration doughs that results in softer bread that slices easily with little effort.
Best way to cut sourdough sandwich bread
I like using my bowed bread knife for even slicing.
The bowed knife helps you to cut in a straight line with flexibility to cut thick slices for something like french toast or thin slices for sandwiches.
Artisan bread with a crusty top
Artisan sourdough bread is a crusty bread that can be one of the more difficult loaves to cut without the right tools.
The crust of an artisan loaf is thicker and crusty.
How to cut sourdough bread: crusty artisan loaves
Using an electric serrated bread knife is a great option as well for slicing clean cuts through the hard crust of an artisan loaf.
I have found the best way to cut a round artisan loaf is to first slice the entire loaf in half. Then turn the one half of the loaf 90 degrees and cut your slices.
For cutting an oval artisan loaf, any of the knives I have suggested will work to slice nicely since the width of the loaf is not as wide as a round loaf.
Large ear on artisan loaf
An ear is a term used in sourdough baking when a flap of bread dough sticks up and bakes in an upright position. This often results in a very crusty “ear” on the top of the bread.
A large ear is achieved when scoring the sourdough bread across the middle of the top of the loaf.
Some tips for achieving a nice sourdough ear
Shallow angle
My first tip is to keep the razor blade at a shallow angle when scoring the surface of the dough. This will create a little lip in the dough that will lift into an ear while baking.
Taut surface tension
Next, before scoring make sure there is a nice tight surface tension in the bread dough. Having a nice taut dough shows that the gluten development within the dough did not overproof and is ready to bake.
Avoid overproofing
Having a saggy dough can be a sign of overproofed dough that will not rise as well or give you a nice sourdough ear. Overproofing results in a denser crumb and flatter loaf.
Refrigerate the dough before scoring
Then, working with a cold dough can also help with taught surface tension in the loaf versus working with a room-temperature dough. This will help with accuracy in your scoring.
Swift scoring motion
Use a swift movement with a sharp blade across the surface when scoring
Fully preheat the dutch oven prior to baking
Preheat your Dutch oven before baking. Preheating your Dutch oven in a hot oven helps with oven spring, giving you a beautiful loaf that has risen nicely.
Use an electric knife
For cutting cleanly through a large ear on an artisan loaf, I would recommend an electric knife or carefully, and slowly cutting with a regular serrated bread knife. A bowed bread knife could get caught on the ear.
Baguette
Best way to cut sourdough bread: classic baguette style
Holding your bread knife at a 45 degree angle, use the sharp edge and move the knife in a gentle sawing motion. This will help you achieve classic baguette slices.
Scoring techniques
After bulk fermentation, and completing final shaping steps of your sourdough bread, it is time to score the bread.
Scoring is the process of making small cuts in the surface of the loaf to add design and create a weak breaking point for the loaf to breathe while baking.
Refrigerate
Placing the dough in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes can help the top become taut and easier to smoothly score.
Remove from the refrigerator and lightly dust the dough surface with flour, smoothing it out with your hands.
Using a bread lame, the blade of a razor, or a sharp knife blade, swiftly move the blade across the dough a 1/4″ deep. You can stop here for a basic score or continue further for a fancier look.
Use a turntable
For more intricate designs when scoring, you can use a cake turntable. This is a good way to not disturb the rise of the bread after that final proof.
Little handling of the dough after final shaping
As a general rule, if the dough is handled too much at this stage, it may affect the yeast activity and not rise as well during the baking process.
Sharp razor blades
Using your sharp blade, barely slice the surface where you would like your more intricate designs to go.
I like to use a fresh razor blade for the most control. Holding the short end and making my scores with the blade.
Use butcher’s twine for designing
For measuring purposes, using butcher’s twine to gently indent the bread for guiding your designs can be helpful.
As the bread bakes, the deeper scores will allow the bread to breathe and rise while the intricate scores will open just enough to leave a beautiful design on the bread’s crust.
Banneton baskets
The design on different banneton baskets can add a nice touch to sourdough loaves.
I like to generously coat a banneton basket with flour and directly place my loaf in the basket for the final shape.
Placing the bread directly into the banneton basket will help you get a defined design on the loaf.
Practice
Scoring and achieving your desired outcome can take a lot of practice so keep playing with different designs on different types of sourdough loaves.
Soon enough your loaves will hold the aesthetic of a local bakery!
Happy baking!
Learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch with my simple guide.
