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Slow Crumb

Guides · Guide 6

Scoring and baking

Why bread needs steam and a hot start, how to score, and how to tell when the loaf is baked through.

Why steam matters

For the first part of the bake, the loaf needs a humid oven. Steam keeps the surface soft, so the loaf can expand fully, and it helps the crust turn glossy and deep brown. A lidded cast-iron pot traps the dough’s own steam, which is why it is the easiest way to bake good bread in a home oven.

Scoring

A score is a deliberate weak point. Without one, the loaf bursts wherever it likes.

  • Use a razor blade, ideally on a handle (a “lame”). A very sharp knife is a distant second.
  • Dough straight from the fridge is firm and much easier to cut.
  • For one long cut with a raised “ear”, hold the blade at a shallow angle, about 30–45°, and cut roughly 1 cm deep in a single confident stroke.
  • For a round loaf, a simple cross or square works well. Hold the blade upright for these.

Baking in a pot

  1. Put the pot and its lid in the oven and heat to 250 °C (480 °F) for 45 minutes.
  2. Turn the dough out onto baking paper, score it, and lower it into the pot using the paper as a sling.
  3. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on.
  4. Remove the lid and reduce to 230 °C (450 °F). Bake for 20–25 minutes more.

The pot is extremely hot. Use thick, dry oven gloves; a damp cloth transmits heat instantly.

Baking without a pot

Heat a baking stone or steel, or a heavy tray, with the oven. Put a second, empty tray on the lowest shelf. Slide the loaf onto the hot surface and pour a cup of boiling water into the lower tray, then shut the door quickly. Remove the water tray after 20 minutes and finish as above.

Is it done?

  • The crust is a deep, even brown. Pale bread is underbaked bread.
  • The loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
  • A probe in the centre reads 96–99 °C (205–210 °F).

Cooling and keeping

Cool the loaf on a rack for at least an hour, ideally two. Cut too soon and the crumb will be gummy, because it is still setting.

Keep the bread cut-side down on a board, or in a paper or cloth bag, for two to three days. For longer, slice and freeze it; slices toast well from frozen. Avoid the fridge, which stales bread faster.