Scoring

Many breads are scored with a lame, razor, sharp knife, or scissors before they are loaded into the oven. Scoring helps develop a good-quality loaf with an even appearance and crumb. It allows the bread to release steam and continue to expand until the structure is set. By scoring the dough, the baker can control the final shape of the bread by determining where the product expands during baking. Baking an unscored bread results in an unevenly shaped loaf. The structure forms too early to permit full expansion and, consequently, the full development of the internal structure of the loaf.