What to Use in Place of a Bread Slicer
If you make or buy fresh loaves of bread, you don't have the luxury of it being pre-sliced. Unless you make a lot of bread, a bread slicer might not be practical. Whatever the reason, it's not difficult to slice bread by hand as you need it. This method also helps keep homemade bread fresher for a longer period of time. Does this Spark an idea?
-
Serrated Bread Knife
-
A serrated bread knife guides you to cut beautiful, smooth slices of bread by hand. While other serrated knives will work, a serrated bread knife is long, so you can slice through the entire width of a loaf of bread in one stroke. The blade may be straight across, or may have a slight curve to it. If you hold a curved serrated bread knife so the teeth face down, it almost looks as though the knife is smiling at you.
Cutting
-
Serrated knives are particularly helpful when you want to slice through delicate items in one clean motion. Place the loaf of bread on your cutting or bread board. Hold the knife so the handle is perpendicular to the cutting board, then position it over the bread where you want to slice. Push the blade down, gently but firmly, and distribute the blade's pressure evenly across the cutting surface of the bread. Slide the blade down through the loaf, then pull it toward you as you get to the bottom. It's important not to make a sawing motion with the knife; you'll end up with bread crumbs and ragged slices. Repeat the smooth cutting motion for each successive slice of bread. Wipe any stray crumbs or chunks of bread off the knife between slices, so they don't interfere in cutting.
-
Considerations
-
If you haven't used knives often, you may find using a knife like this to be intimidating. Knives are valuable tools, especially when they are kept sharp, and having respect for them is healthy. However, the more you use a serrated bread or any other type of knife, the more comfortable you'll be with it. A serrated bread knife also comes in handy for slicing tender-skinned produce that you want to put on your sliced bread, such as tomatoes. It's possible to get the kind of thin, clean slices from such produce that are difficult to obtain with other types of knives.
Warning
-
Keep your fingers away from the sharp side of the knife blade at all times. Hold the loaf of bread in place while you cut, but keep your fingers tucked under themselves, curled like an animal paw. Serrated knives can cut your fingers as easily as they cut bread, and can cause you pain and serious injury unless you're careful. Keep your serrated bread knife sheathed and in a safe place, away from the reach of children, when it's not in use.
-
