How to Use a Bread Knife

Knife skills are an important part of cooking. Choosing the right knife for the task and then knowing the most efficient way to handle that knife can improve your performance in the kitchen. As any good chef knows, a bread knife isn't just for cutting bread.

Instructions

1. Select the right knife. A bread knife is long and serrated. If you want to cut bread or anything that's harder on the outside than on the inside, a serrated knife is the proper tool. The length of a bread knife is meant to accommodate the size of the loaf. It's impossible to cut a straight slice of bread with a knife that doesn't span the entire loaf.

2. Get a grip. Having the proper grip on a knife makes all the difference in how you control the cut. A good bread knife is tapered, so you can wrap your hand loosely around the handle and hold it in your fist. When you come to the bottom of your cut, the blade will touch the cutting surface without mashing your fingers under the handle.

3. Pierce the surface. Assuming that you're actually going to cut bread with your bread knife, you must first cut through the crust. The serration on a bread knife is small near the point. This is the part of the blade that should begin the cut. A very gentle sawing motion in a small spot on top of the bread with about an inch and a half of the end of your knife blade will give you a good start.

4. Maintain good form. Once you've pierced the surface, continue your sawing strokes with a larger part of the knife blade. Cutting with a bread knife requires very little force. The strokes are long and slow, and there's almost no downward pressure on the knife. By taking your time and holding your head and shoulders steady, you'll get a straight cut.