"Boron Elgar" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:58:20 +1000, "Farm1" >
> wrote:
>
>>"Boron Elgar" > wrote in message
>
>>> This morning I shaped it and proofed it. Just before putting it into a
>>> 500 F oven on a stone, I brushed each loaf with a bit of olive oil
>>> that had a mix of dry herbs steeping. I slashed the loaves,
>>
>>What did you use to slash them with please? My SO makes our sourdough
>>loaves and he seems to have troubles with his slashing technique
>>complaining
>>that the very sharp knife he uses is dragging the dough rather than
>>slashing. I have seen online that some people use double sided razor
>>blades
>>but since I make 'normal' bread using tins, I dont' need to slash so ahve
>>no
>>idea what would work.
>
> There are who online treatises talking about slashing tools and
> techniques with many preferences given. The recommendation about the
> razor blade is a good one, actually, but a type that I, myself do not
> prefer. Some razor variations come with handles:
>
> I have been fortunate in having been given quite a few slashing
> devices from a baking /bread mix company. The company gives them away
> to customers (my husband did a lot of construction work for them).
> Even these little incentives vary quite a bit in shape, from what one
> might call a miniature straight razor to a small, thin-bladed serrated
> knife.
>
> There is an excellent tutorial he
>
> http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/101...updated-122009
>
> And another decent write-up he
>
> http://cooking-ez.com/page.php?id=28

Thank you for those cites. I've bookmarked them and Himself can read them.
I wonder if a scalpel would be a good tool??? - we have them for denutting
the male calves so he should try using one of them sometime (although
obviosly not one used on a future steer :-))
>
> Different types of bread require different types of slashing. The goal
> in some artisan loaves is to cut in such a way that one achieves a
> "grigne," or smile in the bread - a wide open curve in the crust.
>
> Some bakeries or bakers create their own particular and unique
> slashing design - Lionel Poilne and Chad Robertson come to mind - and
> I find Robertson's easy to duplicate and quite practical to use.
>
> There are some loaf tin breads that do require slashing - many do not
> - but if you've ever seen a loaf burst open in baking, you'd know how
> some doughs can be better off it a slash.
>
> It takes practice and if one's dough is at the edge of being
> over-proofed, a less than 100% perfect slash can throw it right over
> that edge. I have always found the perfect scoring of bread to be one
> of its hardest aspects. Others find it a breeze.
>
>
>>
>>sprinkled
>>> them with nigella seeds, the baked them off..nothing sour about them
>>> at all.
>>>
>>> This is what they looked like before they were eaten.
>>>
>>> http://i50.tinypic.com/n6fjgi.jpg
>>
>>Great looking bread. I can almost smell it.
>>
> Thank you. With so many herbs, it is a perfect bread for summer - it
> goes swell with cold soups, salads or a summery dinner of fruits and
> cheese.

Indeedy. Bread is just right to go with some food. We've just had some of
my spelt bread which I made yesterday with a soup I made with lots of pearl
barley in it - good winter fare here in the southern hemisphere.