How to Slice Homemade Bread

Bread making is fun and easy! What’s not fun and easy is slicing the bread after it’s been baked! Often we have to deal with crushing, crumbling, uneven slices… I could go on and on! Slicing your soft, fresh, homemade bread can be nerve wracking! Oh, how lovely it would be to have the wonderful homemade taste with store-like slices. Luckily, there are a few tips that can make your bread slicing a little less tedious:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Freshly baked bread
• Sharp Knife
• Bread Slicing Guide or cutting board

1. Invest in a really sharp bread-cutting knife. Make sure your knife is long enough to cut your bread-loaf. Several manufacturers make knives specifically for bread machine or homemade bread loaves—these knives work best since they are designed with teeth sharp enough to cut through the toughest and softest of breads and also are long enough to extend to the end of the loaf.

2. Buy a bread cutting guide. Several manufacturers make bread cutting guides—be sure to do your research to find one that is best for you. You want your bread guide slices to be your desired width. I would also recommend a bread guide that has an enclosure or a “wall” on one end to lean the loaf of bread against. This will keep the loaf from falling apart as you slice.

3. Allow your bread to cool. Don’t be impatient! Warm bread will be harder to slice. Let your bread sit out for a few hours before attempting to cut.

4. Slice in a sawing motion. With the proper knife this will go through the loaf of bread easily. Slice from top to bottom, making sure the bottom edge is cut. You want to avoid going to grab a slice of bread and the bottom crust has not been properly severed. This will cause tearing.

[frozenmocha]

on 10/24/2009 I just murdered a fresh loaf of bread that I had pulled out of the oven two days ago. It seemed like such a waste of time to make it, then destroy it. Thanks for the tips!