Slashing Bread

To slash bread, use a sharp paring knife, a razor blade, or a professional lame. Dip it in water to keep it from dragging. Use the tip of the knife or blade, not the length of it, and use quick, strong, sure movements. There’s no wrong way to arrange your slashes, but here are a few suggestions: For baguettes and long loaves, space slashes an even ½ to ¾ inch apart. For round loaves, either make four slashes to form a square, so you end up with a little hat in the middle of your bread, or make one slash down the middle of the loaf and a few diagonal slashes on either side, which should meet the slash down the middle.