[Sca-cooks] Final thoughts from my Laurel's Prize Tourney entry

[Terry Decker]

>> I STR Gervase Markham discussing manchets and saying they should be
>> slashed with a sharp blade around the waist, or circumference, of the
>> loaf, before baking, and this makes them expand like a cylindrical
>> bellows into a sort of hatbox shape, with a nearly flat top and
>> nearly straight, vertical sides. At least this is what happened the
>> couple of times I followed those instructions.
>
> Hm... that sounds like what Elizabeth David says to do for "Cottage
> Loaves" but those poof out at the top. Are the slashes vertical or
> horizontal?
>
> -- 
> -- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net

The slash is around the circumference of the loaf.  It needs to be done with 
a sharp blade to about one half inch depth.  It allows the loaf to expand 
more from the oven spring and should produce a lighter crumb.

Bear