The time I stopped slashing my baguettes and tried a wet lame instead

I always used a dry razor blade to score my dough before baking and got okay results, but an old baker at the farmer's market told me to dip the lame in water first. After three tries last Sunday, the cuts opened up way cleaner and the ears popped like crazy. Has anyone else switched from a dry blade to a wet one and seen a big difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

evahenderson1mo ago

Used to be a dry blade purist myself, thought water was just gonna make a mess of the dough surface. Tried it on a whim last month after reading an old French baking blog and now I can't go back. The wet blade just glides through without any of that annoying drag or tearing, especially on a cold proofed dough right out of the fridge. My batards went from having those sad little half-opened slits to actually getting those crisp, flared ears that look like they came from a pro shop. Night and day difference on the final crust texture too, way less of that hard lip that dry scoring sometimes leaves behind.

susan_adams1mo ago

Oh man, wet blade is the real deal for sure. I was stubborn about it for way too long, thinking it was just another baking gimmick. But that first time I tried it on a cold dough straight from the fridge, I felt like an idiot for waiting. No more ripping or that ugly tearing you get with a dry lame. My loaves actually look presentable now, and the crust splits open way cleaner without that hard edge.

ryanm601mo ago

Wait, you're telling me you used a dry blade for years? I tried that once and my loaf looked like a cat got to it before it went in the oven. The dough just ripped and stuck to the blade like glue. Switched to wet the next batch and it was like night and day. Now I keep a little bowl of water right next to my bench and dip between each cut. The ears actually pop up instead of just sitting there flat and sad. That old baker saved you a lot of ugly bread.