How to Get a Tall, Crackling Ear on Your Sourdough

That dramatic raised flap on a great sourdough — the ear — isn't decoration. It's evidence that the dough sprung high and the score was made well. Here's how to develop ears reliably.

What an ear actually is

When you score a loaf and it bakes, the cut surface separates and lifts. The lower piece of the cut becomes the loaf's main top; the upper piece becomes a fin that crisps and curls.

A tall, crisp ear means:

• Strong oven spring (the dough wanted to expand)
• Good surface tension (the skin held the spring vertical)
• Correct score angle (the cut allowed the ear to lift)
• Adequate steam (the surface stayed flexible long enough)

The four ingredients of a good ear

1. Surface tension

The shaped loaf needs a tight, smooth skin. To build it:

• Use minimal flour during shaping
• Drag the dough across an unfloured surface to build tension
• Pinch the bottom seam tightly
• Place seam-side up in the basket so the smooth side is down

2. The right score angle

Score at a low angle — about 30 degrees from the surface, not 90 degrees.

• High-angle (vertical) cuts create no flap — just a slot
• Low-angle cuts create a flap that lifts during spring

Hold the lame nearly horizontal to the loaf surface. The blade slides under the surface, creating a flap, not a straight wall.

3. Cold dough

Score warm dough and the cuts blur. Score cold dough and the cuts stay crisp.

• Cold retard for 12+ hours minimum
• Score directly from the fridge
• Don't let the dough warm up before scoring

4. Steam

Without steam, the surface sets early and the ear doesn't lift cleanly. Use a Dutch oven, or generate steam aggressively in an open oven.

Remove steam at minute 20 so the ear can crisp.

The score itself

For a single-ear batard:

• Make one straight cut along the length of the loaf
• Slightly off-center (not directly down the middle)
• About ½ inch (1.5 cm) deep
• Low angle (30°)

For a boule with multiple ears:

• A square or rectangle of cuts
• Each cut at low angle facing the same direction
• All cuts ½ inch deep

Common ear failures

Ear is short or barely visible

• Cut too shallow (deepen)
• Cut too vertical (lower angle)
• Steam insufficient (more steam, longer cover)

Ear blows out (long, thin, fragile)

• Underproofed dough (longer bulk or proof)
• Cut too aggressive (smaller, shallower cut)

Ear is asymmetric

• Uneven score depth across the cut
• Tip the lame consistently along the entire length

Ear doesn't form at all

• Dough was overproofed (no spring)
• Vertical cut (no flap)
• Score in wrong location for shape

Practice technique

Score 5–10 loaves with intentional variation:

• Same recipe, different score depths
• Same recipe, different angles
• Same recipe, dough cold vs. room temp

Within a couple of weeks you'll see what each variable does and which combinations produce the ears you want.

What kind of dough makes the best ears

• Lower hydration doughs (70–75%) score crisper
• Bread flour over all-purpose (more structure for spring)
• Cold-retarded loaves (firmer surface)
• Properly fermented (not over, not under)

High-hydration loaves can have ears, but they're usually wider and less defined.

A test: bake the same dough, score two ways

Make 2 small loaves from the same dough. Score one with a near-vertical cut. Score the other with a near-horizontal cut. Bake side by side.

The horizontal-cut loaf will have a much taller ear. You'll see immediately why angle matters.

The unspoken benefit

A great ear isn't just visual. It's evidence that everything else went right. Bakers who chase ears unintentionally get better at fermentation, shaping, and steam — because all three are required.

If your ears keep getting taller, your bread is getting better whether you notice it or not.