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Have you ever seen a beautiful loaf of artisan bread and wondered how the baker got those great slash marks? Well, they got it by using a tool called the lame (pronounced lahm). The lame creates that slash, or score, in the bread, which is also called an ear. The lame probably originated in France, but it was quickly adopted by artisan bakers in the US. It creates a score on the top of the bread that even a very sharp knife can't achieve, which is due to the curve of the lame as well as it's razor edge. When the bread expands in the oven, the crust will split at some point, no matter what. Scoring the top not only creates an aesthetically pleasing look to the bread, it also allows the baker to control how and where the inevitable split will be.
The lame is used by holding it gently by the very end, and dragging it across the surface of the dough just before putting it into the oven. You need to use enough pressure to cut into the dough, but try not to go too deep. Also, the lame should be held at a slight angle to the dough to get a proper ear. Most doughs with a stiff enough consistency should get a good ear, but really wet doughs will not.
The best one I could find for a home baker was this lame from King Arthur Flour.com. It should stay sharp for quite some time, and it comes with the blade guard for more safety while you're not using it. Professional bakers have a lame which has a replaceable blade, while this version does not. At under $7, this lame could be a great asset to your tool kit if you're really serious about bread.
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7-23-2008 @12:55PM Seth said... I love King Arthur but you don't need their fancy lame for this task. A package of old-fashioned safety razor blades will do the job just as well.
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7-23-2008 @5:45PM Tim said... I usually am a pretty thrifty guy, but this is tempting. I've never been able to make good slashes in dough, no matter what I've used. Knives, kitchen sheers, box cutters (I hate to use them on food, but Alton Brown once recommended it for some other recipes). If this could get me a nice, aesthetic slash on my rustic breads and dinner rolls, I may buy this. Compared to the price of buying a few good loaves of bread, this thing could be worth it.
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7-23-2008 @7:19PM Alex Falk said... Sur La Table has them, $4.95
I find that my Opinel folding knife works just fine. Of course I sharpen it to a beyond razor edge, and do not use it for anything other than the occasional steak (on paper plates)
One could be made to take replaceable DE blades with a little work.
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7-24-2008 @7:17AM Berkana said... Doesn't the word need an accented character, like "lamé" or "lamè"? Without accented characters, it looks like the English term "lame".
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7-24-2008 @10:54AM simon said... "The lame probably originated in France,"
The word "lame" means blade in French. So yes, it did originate in France. And no, there is no accent on the e.
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7-26-2008 @3:01PM Kitt said... An exacto knife works pretty well for this. Unless you're an absolute perfectionist and gadget-hound, I wouldn't buy one for myself. Might make a good gift for a baker, though.
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