May 14, 2018 - 6:45pm
Scoring troubleshooting
Hi all,
I'm wondering if anybody help me troubleshoot my scoring.
My scores consistently stick to whatever blade I'm using. Sometimes I can manage a halfway decent score. Sometimes it drags the dough around in a bad way. Sometimes I just give up and let the darn thing crack where it wants.
Here are the variables that I've ID'ed, some more likely to be the issue than others. But they will probably answer most of your questions:
- I use a lame razor w/about 20 loaves on it...from what I understand it shouldn't be close to being blunt yet. Or do I just need to rotate it to a different bottom edge?
- Lame razor is curved...should I get a straight one?
- I bake sourdoughs with 80-92% hydration. I imagine a wetter dough is harder to score. But should still be possible?
- I usually bake after a 10-16 hour retard in my fridge. So it's possible the doughs are at the upper limit of their proofing...but just had the same issue with a no retard loaf, minimally proofed.
- I wait to score until dough is dropped in my dutch oven (figuring that I don't want to handle it after it's been scored, right?)
- Dutch oven has some tall sides...I have oven gloves that let me reach in to score the dough, but even then it feels more awkward than I'd like.
When I watch TFL's "Updated Tutorial", his bread just parts like the red sea before the lame. I never get anything close to that!
Is there a particular way to hold the lame that I'm missing?
I read somewhere that dipping the lame in water to wet it before cutting may help?
Any other ideas?
Thanks!
-Josh
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lol. That's tough to score no matter how skilled you are. I read or heard on a video that it took a baker a full year working ft in a bakery (so presumably scoring dozens of loaves daily) a full year to learn how to do it reliably well. I wet my lame b/f scoring, but with loaves w such high hydration, it'd be very hard for me.
by accident this past weekend i had an 81% hydration dough ( miscalculated, the loaves should've been 75% approx.) and it was very very hard to do. Of the 4 loaves, only 2 were scored okay. Not well, just okay.
hester
ha! well i have scored at 80% hydration well, once in a blue moon...so i know it's possible! honestly, though, my 91% dough last weekend was a miscalculation as well...it turned out real nice, though, so i'm going to try it again! ;)
Beyond David Snyder's updated tutorial, take a gander at these comments that I've added over the past few years...
There is going to be some duplication of info from these, and there is no particular order to them either.
I don't do hydrations past the upper 70's so I can't help you there and I don't use a D.O. either, but others should be able to help on both counts.
As far as blades - good blades should last a long time per corner, but somewhere in the 20 loaf range is about it. Especially if you are scoring through additives like olives, fruits, nuts, etc. These will dull the blade faster. However with a four cornered blade, you should be able to approach 80-100 loaves before changing out the blade for a new one.
I use a curved blade on a lame holder, others use serrated or ceramic blades, "Exacto Knives", etc. Whatever you are comfortable with.
If you haven't let your bulk rise at ambient temperature go "too far", there should be nothing wrong with a long retarded proof as you describe.
alan