Spooky Sourdough Spiderweb Bread Score
This spooky sourdough spiderweb bread score is the perfect way to score your loaf for the Halloween season!
Bread scoring can be intimidating, but along my sourdough journey I’ve found a few hacks that have helped me perfect the process.
In this article I’ll share those secrets with you and give you a simple tutorial for this festive fall score.
Keep reading for step by step instructions!
Step One: Tips For Scoring
I have a whole article on bread scoring for beginners, but here are a few crucial tips that you can implement to get a better spider web score:
- Use a very sharp razor (not a knife) when making the score.
- After shaping and before scoring, put your loaf in the freezer for 30-60 minutes.
- Before scoring, sprinkle rice flour liberally and evenly over your bread so that your score is pronounced.
- Use confident, quick strokes.
- Apply a bit of olive oil on your razor to help it slice through the dough
- Replace your razors frequently so they are sharp! (I buy these ones).
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Step Two: Prepare Your Dough
First you’ll need to prepare the dough for a gorgeous sourdough bread. For the loaf featured in the photos here, I used my same day sourdough bread loaf. You could also use my overnight bread recipe.
Low hydration sourdough bread is typically easier to handle and score. Both of the above recipes work well.
Prior to scoring your bread, shape it and then put it in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes. This step will really help you achieve a pretty score!
Step 3: Dust Dough With Rice Flour
Preheat your oven for baking your bread, then retrieve your bread dough from the freezer.
Be sure to liberally apply rice flour (you can use regular white flour as well) to the top of the dough. Smooth the flour so that you do not have any clumps.
You are ready to start scoring!
Step 4: Make Very Shallow Cuts In A Snowflake Pattern
To begin the spider web score, create shallow diagonal scores in a snowflake pattern. Use a very light hand here, you do not want deep scores. The lighter the score, the better your design will bake.
Step 5: Spiderweb Score
Beginning in the center of your dough, begin to make spiderweb scores. Each line should be slightly curve inward slightly and connect with the next line. Rotate your parchment paper as you go, spacing each line of the web a few centimeters or so apart.
Scoring takes practice, so don’t expect perfection the first time. Look at scoring as a fun art form that you can experiment with!
Step 6: Bake Your Bread
Once you have completed the final strand of your web, place the bread in a Dutch Oven and bake, following the directions of your recipe.
When scoring bread remember that practice makes perfect. If you aren’t satisfied with your first spiderweb score, try again! It took me about 5 loaves to really love the outcome.
