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Why Scoring Matters for Your Sinless Sourdough
This scoring stage applies to both Fiber Flora and Lifestyle Lina recipes but not for Discard Diva recipes, though Lifestyle Lina doughs require special care. Due to their lighter ingredients, Lifestyle Lina doughs are more delicate and can “degas” (deflate) quickly. When scoring these doughs, work more quickly and carefully to maintain their rise.
Scoring is an art form and takes time to perfect, so be patient with yourself. With practice, you’ll develop the confidence and technique to create beautiful patterns on your bread.
Basics of Scoring
Scoring means making cuts on your dough’s surface before baking. While traditional sourdough scoring helps control expansion and release steam, with Sinless Sourdough it’s mostly for looks and basic shape control.
Simple Scoring Works Best
- Use a simple “smile” cut across the side of the dough (batard cut)
- Score at a 45-degree angle with a curved paring knife
- Make your cut about 1/4-inch deep
- Score immediately before baking – have your hot Dutch oven ready first
- Don’t let the dough sit after scoring
Why Fancy Patterns Don’t Work Well for Lifestyle Lina Recipes
Lifestyle Lina doughs are more delicate and can degas (deflate) quickly. Fancy scoring patterns are particularly challenging with these recipes because:
- The lighter ingredients make the dough structure more fragile
- Multiple cuts can cause rapid degassing
- The dough doesn’t hold its shape as well during manipulation
- Working slowly on complex patterns gives the dough time to collapse
Practical Tips for Success
- Keep it simple – a single curved slash works best
- Score deeper than you would with regular sourdough
- Use a very sharp knife
- Work quickly, especially with Lifestyle Lina doughs to prevent deflating
- Expect different results than traditional sourdough – you likely won’t get a dramatic “ear”
The Purpose of Scoring Sinless Sourdough
- Guides how the loaf expands
- Creates an attractive finished look
- Allows some steam to escape
- Gives your bread that professional, handcrafted appearance
With some practice, you’ll develop your own scoring style that works best for your Sinless Sourdough loaves.
