“Fermentation by-products make food more digestible, and may confer health benefits themselves.A selection of our handmade bread lames also known as scoring knives. “Fermentation by-products are in themselves healthy” “Natural yeast break down gluten, so gluten-intolerant people can eat wheat bread again” That said, the lack of proof hasn’t stopped others from making health claims like: Mainly I love this because it’s delicious.

What are the health benefits of lactic acid and other consequences of commercial or natural microbe fermentation? I don’t think any good data exists for us to make a health claim. So either way, lactic acid and other by-products of fermentation will form and accumulate. That’s why either method, left long enough, will give you dough with that sour effect.īut beyond that, in our batches, as the commerical yeast die off, you get some replacement with wild yeast and bacteria that exist in the flour (not much from the air, despite what many people think). “Fermentation by-products like lactic acid build up through the normal metabolism of commercial yeast, and also through the normal metabolism of wild yeasts and bacteria. I consulted with Jeff, since he is the doctor on the team and this is what he had to say: The bread will still taste great and you can just call it “rustic.” Practice makes perfect, so don’t worry if your first slash isn’t perfect.

The dough is more resilient than you may think, so you can go over the cut a few times. If you don’t get the proper depth on the first pass with the knife, just repeat until it is right. If the slash is too shallow you may have a blow out or a tear in the dough. Refer to the recipe for the proper depth of the slash for the loaf you are making. (However, if your recipe calls for water or egg wash on the dough, you’ll want to use shallow, but swift knife strokes and just repeat over the same spot until they are deep enough.)ĥ. Use a swift, firm motion to cut the 1/2-inch slash in the dough. Cut quickly. If you cut through the dough too slowly the knife will pull at the dough and not cut through. If your dough is able to move around too much you will just end up dragging it with the knife strokes and it won’t cut easily.Ĥ. This will give you some tension on the surface of the dough to cut against. In order to keep the dough from moving too much, you will need to support it with your non-cutting hand. Hold the dough steady with your free hand. If you use a water or egg wash on the dough it may be a bit stickier, which will make it more difficult to cut.ģ. The flour helps the knife slide through the dough without sticking. Dust the dough with flour for the easiest cut. The key to success with a lame is to make sure the blade is spotlessly clean or the dough will stick.Ģ. I have also used a Lame (pronounced lamb) with great results. I have also successfully used a straight-edged Chef’s Knife, but it is crucial that these style knives be even sharper to get the job done. If your knife is dull or is caked with dough, it will pull at the dough instead of cutting through it. So, for the most beautiful crust and best interior crumb, you’ll want to follow these few tricks for slashing.Īs you will see in the video below there are a few quick tips to cutting through the wet, soft dough more easily:ġ. The loaf can also end up being a touch dense if you don’t slash deep enough, because it won’t open up and make way for a dramatic oven spring. Leaving you with bread that tastes delicious, but doesn’t live up to its artistic potential. If your slashes are not deep enough, the dough may tear open on the top or bottom of the loaf.

Slashing your dough properly creates a beautiful loaf of bread, but can also help it rise in the oven.

Bread lame knife