Scoring is one of the most misunderstood steps in bread baking. New bakers think the score is purely decorative — it's not. The score is a controlled fracture point: it tells the bread where to expand as it rises in the oven. Get it right and the bread opens beautifully along the cut. Get it wrong and it splits in unpredictable places, producing a misshapen loaf.
Why You Score
When bread goes into a hot oven, the dough expands rapidly — this is oven spring. If there's no score, the bread expands wherever the crust is weakest, often at the sides or bottom. This produces an uneven, lopsided loaf. The score gives the bread a specific place to open, creating an even, attractive shape.
The cut also controls how the bread expands. A deep, angled cut allows the bread to open dramatically. A shallow cut restricts expansion. A curved cut produces a curved ear. The angle of the blade relative to the surface determines how the bread opens.
The Tool
Use a razor blade or a lame (a curved knife handle designed for scoring). Scissors and table knives don't work — they're too thick and drag the dough rather than cutting it cleanly. A sharp razor blade in a straight or curved holder gives you the control you need.
Keep blades fresh. A dull blade crushes rather than cuts, and the score won't open properly. Change blades every 5-10 loaves. A fresh blade is one of the cheapest upgrades you can make to your bread baking.
Angle and Depth
The angle of the blade matters enormously. A blade held perpendicular to the surface cuts deeply but doesn't allow much ear. A blade held at 30-45 degrees creates a cleaner cut and produces a more dramatic ear. For most breads, a 30-45 degree angle is correct.
Depth should be 2-4mm — shallow but definite. Too deep and you risk the bread opening too much or losing its shape. Too shallow and the score doesn't open at all. The cut should be confident: one smooth stroke, not multiple hesitating strokes. Hesitation creates multiple small tears rather than one clean cut.
Common Patterns
The single slash down the center is for oval loaves (batards). The slash runs parallel to the length of the loaf, slightly off-center. For round loaves (boules), a cross or tic-tac-toe pattern works well. For baguettes, 5-7 diagonal cuts at 45 degrees.