What is scoring?

Slashing the top of a shaped loaf just before baking with a sharp blade or razor. Controls where the loaf splits open during oven spring — without scoring, the trapped fermentation gas finds the weakest seam on its own and bursts there, often with an ugly tear or a flat split instead of a designed opening. Depth is the variable that matters most: about ¼ inch / 6mm at a 30-45° blade angle gives the dramatic raised “ear” that defines well-baked sourdough. Too shallow and the cut doesn't weaken the crust enough; too deep and the dough above the cut is too heavy to lift cleanly. Cold dough is dramatically easier to score than warm dough — one of the reasons the overnight cold retard exists. Patterns range from a single functional slash (most controlled rise) to decorative geometry (mostly visual). Boil-then-bake breads (bagels, pretzels) are not scored.