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Sourdough Scoring Guide: Patterns, Lame Technique, and Why Loaves Tear
Scoring is the last step before the bake — and the one that decides how the loaf opens in the oven. A clean score gives the loaf room to spring; a hesitant score causes side-bursts and dense crumb. The good news: a 30-second adjustment to depth and angle fixes 80 % of scoring problems.
Why we score sourdough
Sourdough at oven entry is full of trapped CO₂. Without a controlled cut, that gas finds its own escape — usually a tear at the side or bottom. A score gives the dough a planned weak spot, so oven spring lifts the loaf upward through the cut instead of bursting sideways.
A second job: pattern. A wheat stalk, leaf, or simple slash all bake into a permanent surface design. The functional and decorative cuts are the same cut — depth, angle, and confidence determine whether you get an ear or a flat scar.
The two scoring depths
Functional cut: 1.5 cm deep, 30° angle
One bold slash about 1.5 cm deep, held at a 30° angle to the surface. The angle creates a flap of dough that lifts during oven spring and bakes into a crisp ear. This is the cut for a boule or batard expecting maximum spring.
Decorative cut: 5 mm deep, 90° angle
Shallow, perpendicular cuts that bake as defined lines without lifting. Used for wheat stalks, leaves, lattices. They do not redirect oven spring, so they need to be combined with one functional cut for safety.
Lame technique
Hold the lame between thumb and forefinger like a pen. Move the blade in one fast stroke — never sawing. For curved cuts, follow with the wrist, not the elbow.
Wet the blade lightly between bakes if the dough drags. A double-edged razor cuts cleaner than a single-edged blade for high-hydration doughs (75 %+).
Five classic patterns
- Single slash: one cut down the centerline. Maximum ear, easiest pattern.
- Cross: two perpendicular cuts. Symmetrical opening, common in sandwich-style boules.
- Wheat stalk: one functional cut down the center, four pairs of shallow angled cuts off the centerline.
- Leaf: a curved spine cut with shallow veins branching off.
- Square (#): three cuts each direction; opens to a checkerboard crust.
When the score doesn't open
If the score closes back together instead of bursting open, the dough was over-proofed (no spring left) or the cut was too shallow. If the loaf bursts on the side or bottom instead of the score, the cut was too shallow or at the wrong angle. If you see "blistering" along the score line, congratulations — that's a sign of well-developed gluten and an active cold proof.
Common scoring mistakes
- Sawing instead of slashing. A back-and-forth motion drags dough into the cut and closes it. Use one decisive stroke.
- Scoring too shallow. Less than 1 cm depth means oven spring escapes elsewhere. Commit to 1.5 cm for the main cut.
- Scoring straight down. 90° cuts produce no ear. Tilt to 30° to lift a flap.
- Scoring warm dough. Cold dough from retard scores cleanly; warm dough drags. Score straight from the fridge.
When scoring goes wrong
- Score closes shut in the oven. Dough was over-proofed. Shorten bulk by 30 minutes next bake.
- Loaf splits on the side. Score was too shallow. Go 1.5 cm deep with the angled blade.
- Score smears, no clean line. Lame is dull or dough was warm. New blade + cold dough.
- No oven spring at all. Not a scoring problem — check proof timing or starter activity.
Plan your bake: the main calculator outputs the cold-proof window, so your dough is at scoring temperature when you need it.
Scoring FAQ
A double-edged razor on a dollar-store coffee stirrer is fine. Dedicated lames help with curves but are not required.
After. Cold dough holds its shape under the blade and produces the cleanest cut.
Either the blade is dull, the dough is warm, or you sawed instead of stroked. Replace the blade and chill the dough.
One main cut for spring, plus 0–3 decorative cuts. More cuts redistribute spring and can flatten the loaf.
It is the visible signature of correct fermentation, gluten development, and scoring technique — bakers chase it for both reasons.
Yes, but flour the surface lightly and use a sharper blade. Wet dough from a tea-towel proof needs an extra-cold rest before scoring.
Related guides
Disclaimer: Baking results vary based on flour type, ambient temperature, starter health, and technique. Use this guide and our sourdough hydration calculator as a starting point, then adjust to your conditions.