'I'm a food expert and you're cutting bread the wrong way here's how to do it right'
Embarking on a culinary adventure often means elevating your meals and dabbling in more sophisticated cooking methods.
You might have nailed the perfect spaghetti dish or even ventured into crafting a beef wellington, but there's one fundamental skill that could be tripping you up, and it's as straightforward as cutting bread.
Discovering you've been scrambling eggs all wrong or learning there's a superior method to sizzle bacon are easy tips to digest without denting your pride, but the art of slicing bread has left many of us bamboozled.
For most, slicing bread is a no-brainer: just lay it down on its flat side and slice away, but for uniform and neat slices, approaching the loaf from a different angle might just be the trick.
What's this game-changing technique?, reports the Express.
Simply cut the bread on its side. Although you lose some stability and need to be a bit more cautious when holding the loaf, it can yield the ideal slice.
Revealing the tip, food writer and stylist Sarah Jampel divulged in Food 52: "Yes, it takes a bit more coordination and care: rather than resting the flat, stable side against the cutting board, you'll have to hold the bread in place with the hand that isn't knife-wielding ... But it's not as scary as it looks."
This approach comes with several benefits. It's particularly effective for slicing through tough crusty breads.
Those stubborn sourdoughs or hefty bloomers that defy your sawing efforts to penetrate their solid bottom crust can now be sliced with ease.
By adopting this method, the cutting motion becomes much shorter, thus delivering more power to slice through a tough crust. It also ensures you're slicing through the entire crust layer simultaneously.
Sarah explained: "(For tough bread) you'll be able to penetrate both of the toughest parts of the bread - the upper and bottom crusts - right from the start," she says. "That makes it easier to get thin slices, and it means you won't struggle with detaching the sometimes-tough bottom."
This approach not only simplifies the process but also allows for more daringly thin slices.
Moreover, it's particularly effective for softer, more delicate breads such as brioche, ciabatta, or a baguette.
By laying the loaf on its side, you avoid damaging the bread's essential crumb structure, ensuring it remains light and fluffy.
"By turning the loaf on its side, you'll have less distance to cover with the sawing motion. That means you'll preserve the integrity of your bread's crumb structure. Too much sawing can mar your slices," Sarah disclosed.
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