Knife work
How to score dough, meat and fish
Make shallow cuts in the surface of food so it cooks evenly, opens neatly or takes in flavor.
Step by step
- Use a very sharp knife or a razor blade.
- Hold the blade at a low angle for bread, straight down for meat or fish.
- Cut about ¼ inch deep in one quick, confident stroke; don't saw.
- Space the cuts evenly, like a crosshatch on a ham or a few slashes across a loaf.
How you know it's done
The cuts are shallow and clean. On a loaf they open into an "ear" in the oven; on meat the fat renders and the glaze sinks in.
Common mistakes
- Cutting too deep, which lets bread collapse or meat dry out.
- Slow, dragging cuts that tear soft dough.
Simmerbee recipes that use it (1)
In those recipes the word is underlined in the steps; tap it for the short version. In hands-free cook mode, ask “How do I score?”