Q: What is a bread lame?
A bread lame is a scoring tool bakers use to slash the top of proofed dough just before baking, so the loaf expands along a controlled line instead of splitting randomly.
Bread lame scores the dough surface before baking.
Named after the French word for blade, a bread lame is used to score the dough surface before baking, creating the distinctive slash marks often seen on artisanal bread. Not just decorative, this helps the loaf keep its shape as it expands in the oven, allowing it to release pressure by splitting open in chosen spots so it won’t swell and bubble unpredictably.
Supplied with 10 stainless-steel blades, the 7 1/2" lame has a blade holder at either end – one holds the blade straight to create long end-to-end slashes or other rectilinear designs, and the other flexes the blade into the curved shape used to make traditional sourdough “ear” patterns. Each blade has four numbered cutting edges, so when one edge eventually dulls, you can simply rotate it in the holder to expose a fresh edge.
Dishwasher safe. Various colors, depending on supply.
A bread lame is a scoring tool bakers use to slash the top of proofed dough just before baking, so the loaf expands along a controlled line instead of splitting randomly.
Hold the blade at a shallow angle and draw it quickly across the dough's surface, cutting about 1/4" deep so the loaf can expand along the score during baking.
Slide a fresh blade into the slot on the straight or curved holder until it clicks into place, with the cutting edge facing outward and ready to score.
A sharp paring knife or a razor blade taped to a chopstick both work in a pinch, but neither gives the same clean, shallow cut as a lame's angled blade.
Use the straight holder for simple geometric patterns and long single slashes, and switch to the curved holder for the classic sourdough "ear" that lifts as the loaf bakes.
| Materials | Stainless-steel blades |
| Dimensions | 7 1/2" overall length |
| Includes | Bread lame; straight blade holder; curved blade holder; 10 stainless-steel blades |
| Package Quantity | 1 set |
| Warranty | Lee Valley Satisfaction Guarantee |
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Bread Lame
Named after the French word for blade, a bread lame is used to score the dough surface before baking, creating the distinctive slash marks often seen on artisanal bread. Not just decorative, this helps the loaf keep its shape as it expands in the oven, allowing it to release pressure by splitting open in chosen spots so it won’t swell and bubble unpredictably.
Supplied with 10 stainless-steel blades, the 7 1/2" lame has a blade holder at either end – one holds the blade straight to create long end-to-end slashes or other rectilinear designs, and the other flexes the blade into the curved shape used to make traditional sourdough “ear” patterns. Each blade has four numbered cutting edges, so when one edge eventually dulls, you can simply rotate it in the holder to expose a fresh edge.
Dishwasher safe. Various colors, depending on supply.
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