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Learning how to cut sourdough bread without squishing it and to have even, thin slices can be tricky. There are a few tips and tricks (and tools) which can make this process easier.
Just like anything with sourdough – a lot of the journey takes time and practice. Learning how to cut sourdough bread can seem just as tricky as starting a sourdough starter from scratch or learning how to score patterns so they pop.
Slicing sourdough bread can be tricky because loaves often have a crispy crust and a soft interior. At our house, we like a loaf like the Aldi’s sourdough bread. We like this bread because it has a soft exterior which can still be tricky when slicing.
Thankfully, there are a few tips and tricks that can help make this process easier. From learning when to cut your sourdough bread, what side to cut your sourdough bread and even what tools you can use to make it easier.
Sourdough can be humbling – but sourdough does not have to be complicated. We probably would have given up if that was the case. But I know God just wanted sourdough to be in my life after 14 years of eating gluten free! I would have given up if I did not like how my body felt after eating sourdough bread.
When to cut sourdough bread
The most important factor of cutting sourdough bread is knowing when to do it. It is so important to let your bread cool completely before cutting it (if you want even slices). Not only does sourdough completely cure as it sits – the bread finishes baking after it is removed from the oven.
Allowing sourdough bread to come to room temperature after baking it helps to ensure the interior will not be tacky. If you slice into sourdough too early and press down on it – the force of your knife or hand to stablize the bread will cause it to be gummy. This can make your bread lose the springy feeling.
If you are not looking for the perfect slice (which I would assume is inaccurate if you are reading this article), cut your bread whenever you like and let the steam melt the butter onto your bread (haha).
How to slice sourdough bread (thin or thick)
There are a few tips when cutting sourdough bread to make it ‘perfect’.
- If the loaf has a crispy crust or a hard bottom – try turning the loaf on its side. Sometimes, cutting the soft sides first allows you to cut through the loaf without having to press down on it.
- Consider wrapping a towel around the outside of the loaf as it cools when it comes out of the oven. This will allow the crust to become less firm as a little steam is strapped by the towel as it cools. This can make it easier to cut.
- Slice the loaf in half. Place the cut side down on the cutting board – slice through the sides. This is great if you want pre sliced bread for sandwiches.
- Saw – don’t cut. Make sure to saw back and forth in equal motions.
- Hold the bread firm, but do not squeeze the sides.
- Use a sturdy cutting board
- Make sure your cutting board is not moving as you are cutting. By buying a cutting board with sticky edges – or by placing a towel beneath it – will help to keep the bread in place.
What to do with ‘bad’ slices of bread
There is no such thing as a bad loaf of sourdough bread. But if you mess up on cutting it and it just does not turn out how you were anticipating, you can always put the bread to good use and turn it into something else.
If you botch a loaf of sourdough bread and do not want to use it for eating because the slices are too big (or too small) for your meal, you can always turn it into sourdough French casserole or sourdough breadcrumbs. And if the pieces get stale- here are 20+ ways to use stale sourdough bread.
In fact, we reserve a bag in our freezer for the butts of the bread or odds and ends pieces that do not quite fit what we are looking for. Doing this not only helps to reduce food waste but makes for some delicious meals with leftover sourdough bread.
Best tools for cutting sourdough bread
- Sourdough Bread Knife (Bow Knife)
- I personally use a sourdough bread knife to cut my sourdough bread. This knife is a bow shape, a long handle and a serrated blade. I have found this purchase to change how my bread looks and feels after it is cut. No more squished loaves or unequal pieces.
- This type of knife helped me to see what I was doing easier and also to cut the final ends of the bread easier.
- Cutting anything else with this sourdough bread knife looks a little silly (IE sourdough English muffins), but it does cut through very smooth.
- The downside to a sourdough bread knife is you are ultimately in control of how thick or thin your sourdough bread is. If you do not mind variability within your loaf, this may not matter to you as much.
- Bread Knife
- A standard knife kit will come with a bread knife. This is a serrated knife with a long blade and short(er) handle. It can help you to saw the bread. I do find it harder to control the width of the slices.
- If I am on vacation or do not want to bring my sourdough bread knife with me when going to someone’s house for dinner – I will use a bread knife.
- Electric Knife
- You know the electric knife you only pull out once a year for carving turkey? It works in this scenario! The sawing motion does the work while you just “hold” the bread.
- Wooden Bread Slicer
- If you have ever saw a wooden bread slicer – it essentially holds your loaf of bread in place and gives you specific lines to cut it in.
- The downside to this is the specific shape the loaf needs to be to fit within the base. While this does hold your bread in place, it can be tricky if your loaf is a different shape than a standard sandwich bread (which most artisan sourdough breads are).
- Manual Bread Slicer
- A manual bread slicers is made of a few different components – a hand crank, a blade and a base. This allows you to place your bread in front of the blade up to the and use a hand crank to turn the blade.
- This will give you the same dimension of bread – about the thickness of a sandwich loaf – not a ‘Texas toast’ thickness (which is perfect for sourdough chocolate chip French toast casserole).
- The one downside is that most manual bread slicers do not let you choose the thickness of the bread. Unless you are purchasing an expensive one (upwards of $200), you may not be able to adjust the thickness of your bread slice.
- Your hands
- While this is slightly joking – you can always pull apart your loaf of bread and share it with a friend. This works great if you are traveling and do not have a bread knife. Because if we are being honest – nothing is better than sharing sourdough with a friend.
What tips and tricks do you use when learning how to cut sourdough bread? Let us know in the comments below!
