Bread Lame — Care & Use Guide
A lame is used to score your dough right before baking — those cuts control how your loaf expands in the oven and give it that classic bakery look. Harvest Baking carries two styles, and they're used a little differently.
Before You Score
Score straight from the fridge if you can — cold dough holds its shape and cuts far more cleanly than dough at room temperature.
Using a Traditional Lame
This is the classic wood or bamboo-handled style with a single fixed blade. Hold it like a pencil, angled at 30–45° (not straight down), and make one confident, sweeping motion across the dough. Hesitating partway through tends to drag and tear the dough instead of cutting cleanly. This style is great for a single, simple score down the center of a loaf.
Using a UFO-Style Lame
This is the round, disc-shaped style — the blade sits between two discs that twist open to expose it, and twist closed to tuck it away safely. Grip it like a bottle cap: pinch the center between your thumb and index finger, with the rest of your hand curled loosely around the outside for stability. The round shape gives you a lot more control, which makes it the better choice for decorative or detailed scoring patterns — though it takes a little getting used to when loading or swapping the blade.
Blade Care
Replace the blade as soon as it starts to drag instead of slicing cleanly — a dull blade is the most common reason for messy or torn scores. Always store your lame with the blade twisted shut (UFO style) or covered (traditional style) to keep it sharp and avoid accidental cuts.
Common Questions
My scores aren't opening up — this is usually about proofing/oven spring rather than the blade, but also check your angle — a flatter, more sideways angle helps the cut open more dramatically.
Which style should I use? — traditional is simpler and great for beginners doing one clean slash; UFO gives more control once you're ready to try decorative patterns.