Troubleshooting
Why Won't My Sourdough Score Cleanly?
Draggy scores come from dull blades, dry skins, sticky dough, or overproofing — fix the surface before blaming the lame.
Unclean scores usually mean a dull blade, insufficient surface tension, sticky under-floured dough, or overproofed dough that collapses under the cut.
Score failure modes
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Blade drags | Dull razor / wet surface | Fresh blade; light flour |
| Cut seals up | Hesitant shallow pass | Commit; ¼–½ inch depth |
| Deflates on cut | Overproofed | Shorter proof |
| Jagged earless | Weak skin | Better final shape tension |
Technique basics
Hold the lame at a slight angle for an ear, score cold dough when possible, and cut in one decisive motion. Change razor blades often.
Systematic debugging
When a loaf fails, resist the urge to change flour, hydration, schedule, and shaping all at once. Rank the suspects: starter strength, dough temperature, fermentation length, then shaping and bake setup. The same dense crumb has different fixes depending on whether the dough never rose or rose and collapsed.
What to log next bake
Write down starter peak time, dough temperature after mixing, bulk duration, final proof duration, and oven setup. One annotated failure teaches more than three untracked "meh" loaves. If two consecutive bakes share the same fault after one change, reverse that change and try the next suspect.
One thing to remember
Consistency beats intensity: a boring weekly routine outperforms chaotic heroic weekend bakes.
Temperature audit
Measure dough temperature after mixing for three bakes in a row. If you see 68°F one day and 80°F the next with the same recipe clock, your results will thrash. Stabilize DDT before blaming flour.
Rescue hierarchy
Slightly overproofed → bake sooner or make focaccia. Slightly underproofed → extend proof if the dough still has strength. Truly dead dough → discard recipes, not despair.
Field notes
Treat this topic as a checkpoint inside a full bake, not a standalone trick that overrides fermentation. Document one success in enough detail that you could hand the notes to a friend and they could reproduce it. Keep salt around 2%, know your dough temperature, and judge readiness with rise and feel before you invent exotic fixes. Fix the earliest upstream fault; downstream symptoms often disappear on their own.
Also useful: weigh everything, preheat longer than you think, and cool fully before you judge crumb quality. Those three habits make every other tip more reliable.
Frequently asked questions
Wet the blade?
Some bakers dip in water; others prefer a dry sharp blade with light flour.
Score from fridge or room temp?
Cold dough almost always scores cleaner.
No lame — options?
A sharp razor blade with clips works; scissors can help for some shapes.
SourdoughAI proofing guidance helps you score dough that's ready — not collapsing or brick-tight.