What Kind of Knife is Best for Slicing Bread?

Question: What Kind of Knife is Best for Slicing Bread?

Answer: You can slice fresh bread with any sharp kitchen knife, however certain knife qualities can render clean and effortless bread slices. Here's what to look for when shopping for a bread knife:

• The knife must be very sharp to prevent shredding the bread.
• Adequate blade length is very important. It should be no shorter than 7" in length and the longer - the better. A 9" or longer knife blade is best for large homemade loaves.
• A serrated knife delivers a clean, effortless slice.
• A serrated knife with a plain blade point designed especially for bread slicing.

I prefer to slice bread with a long serrated knife that is not designed with a forked end, as shown first in the image displayed. This type of knife is best for slicing tomatoes where the forked end can be utilized to pick up the slices. When slicing bread, the forked end can actually shred the bread as it slices through resulting in messy bread slices. A short blade length can produce the same undesirable results, hence the longer the blade - the cleaner the slice.

Bread knives come in a variety of blade lengths and serrated edges can be extremely sharp, so care is recommended when handling and storing these knives.

Slicing homemade bread doesn't have to be difficult. With a little practice, a sharp serrated knife and waiting for the bread to cool before slicing, and you'll be slicing like a pro.

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Read More About Knives:

Cutting Board Basics
Basic, Simple Knife Sharpening
Knife Blocks - Safe Storage
About Knife Points and Grinds
Santoku Knives
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