Scoring bread does more for your loaf than simply making a pretty pattern. We spoke to an expert baker for the lowdown on why you should score your dough.

Scoring bread dough allows you to control where the dough will split open when it rises, but skipping this step can yield gloriously chaotic loaves. Here’s how to do it right.

Scoring bread can be as simple as making a quick slice down the middle of a loaf, but advanced bakers often seize the opportunity to treat bread scoring as a way to decorate the blank slate of dough.

Scoring allows the bread to fully expand while baking. Hold the lame at a 45° angle with the blade pointed toward the center of the loaf and slice the dough about 1/4-inch deep, using the corner ...

The finished second bread had a stronger sour flavor, as expected. It also had an incredibly bouncy, well-risen crumb. My boyfriend and I marveled at the buoyant texture and slightly sour flavor.

7 ounces room temperature water. 4 ounces sourdough starter. 10 ounces high-gluten flour. 0.25 ounces salt. 1. Mix the water, starter, and flour together in the bowl of a stand mixer.

But with a lame, you can control your bread’s scoring and thus its oven spring, leading to more aesthetically and structurally consistent results. Ben Keough/NYT Wirecutter Without proper ...