I have to apologize to you in advance: I’m sorry I haven’t shared this tip for perfectly sliced homemade bread before now. It is so easy and results in such nice cuts that I should have written this tip years ago. Better late than never, though, so I’m mending my non-sharing ways and fully disclosing my secret today.
For many years, this is how I sliced my homemade bread – with a serrated bread knife. I know what you’re thinking looking at this photo – what’s the big deal? Looks good to me! And it is fine – it’s just not the best. The crumb is rough, an edge is torn, and I struggled to get evenly sliced pieces.
Then I helped in the kitchen at my kid’s summer camp one year and they used this to cut all their bread:
Black & Decker Electric Knife on Amazon
And not just any bread, but warm, crusty bread – the kind that usually collapses into a smooshed mess if you try to cut it warm. Can I just say revelation? Our bread world was transformed. Well, at least the cutting part.
I pulled out my cheap, basic electric knife that I used once or twice a year (and that I actually bought originally to cut foam with, ha!) and tried it. Yes, it made cutting crusty artisan bread a breeze – warm or cool – and created slices of sandwich bread like this:
Smooth crumb and perfect edges, and an electric knife goes a long way to helping me cut even slices (though a bread slicing guide should probably be on my wish-list). Just in case you think I’m overstating my case for perfection, here are the slices side by side:
Ahh, now you see it, don’t you? Electric knife + homemade bread = perfect slices.
Now go pull out your electric knife (or put it on your wish list – the cheapest one is fine), make some easy bread and give it a try. I don’t think you’ll go back to a plain serrated knife, except when you’re too lazy to plug in the electric knife. Not that I ever am lazy like that.
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Nancy Reidy says
July 13 at 8:41 amThanks Jami. I have an old electric knife but, may buy this one.Just wondering if that knife would work on an adjustable slicer.
Jami says
July 18 at 10:21 amWhat is an adjustable slicer, Nancy? Is that the plastic guides you put the loaf in to get even slices? If so, I think it should still work, just stay away from the plastic parts. 🙂
Nancy reidy says
July 11 at 11:22 amI’m new to sourdough bread making. My first 2 attempts were hard as a rock and were pitched. Yesterday turned out pretty good. The crust is really crusty. Is it supposed to be? Did you use your old electric knife or buy the one pictured. Also how can you slice the bread thin?
Thanks
Jami says
July 12 at 10:09 amI used the knife pictured, Nancy. With really hard crusts you’ll want to be careful with the electric knife as it can slide off easily. I usually start a cut with the tip of the knife before turning it on to slice. And you just practice making as thin slices as you can!
Lisa says
September 24 at 6:29 amThanks for the tip. Jamie. An electric knife can definitely improve the condition of the sliced bread, but it will never help my hopelessly crooked cutting skills. At least the slices won’t be shredded AND uneven. 😀
Jami says
September 24 at 11:09 am🙂
Veleka says
December 31 at 3:50 amWhat is the best breadboard to use to cut with an electric knife?
Jami says
December 31 at 8:34 amI use a wood board that is pretty thick and dedicated to bread, mostly (definitely nothing wet is cut on it). It does get lots of knife marks in it, so that’s why I only use it for bread. If figure when it gets too bad I’ll move to a new board, but I’ve actually been using the knife with it for more years than I can remember and it’s still good. 🙂
joyinvanity says
April 21 at 8:07 amVery helpful! Thank you!
Katie says
October 30 at 4:19 pmThanks for sharing the photos. I was considering buying an electric knife but the extra cost plus scare factor kinda put me off. But now that I know how much of an improvement it is, I’ll consider it once again!
Sakura says
October 29 at 6:16 amThe knife doesn’t scare me one bit, it’s the bread baking that does. My mom has an electric knife from what seems like the year they started making them. It’s a beautiful yellow knife, I’ll see if I can borrow hers and try it out. What’s really dumb of me is I have a brand spanking new bread maker I received for free and I’m still afraid of baking bread. No better time than the present than to learn.
Jami says
October 29 at 9:54 amWhat? I can’t believe it, Sakura! You can do it, it’s easy – really. 🙂
Sarah @ Feed My Family says
October 28 at 6:26 pmI was already planning on grilled cheese sandwiches tonight when I saw this so I tried using my electric knife and it worked great! Also, pretty sure it’s the first time I’ve used it in 5 years of marriage, that’s probably sad. 🙂
Nichole says
October 26 at 7:02 pmHi Jami,
I’m having trouble with the link to your bread recipe. I can’t view any of your recipes, actually.
Deloris says
October 25 at 11:10 pmI can see by the looks of your bread board that your electric knife cuts your board just like mine did. That’s why I stopped using it. Maybe I will give it another try — if I can find it!
Hope we will be able to get your bread recipe another time.
Jami says
October 25 at 11:27 pmThat’s true, Deloris, but it’s easy enough to get new breadboards and I use this one only for cutting bread. And now that I think of it, I’ve had it for 15+ years, so the knife isn’t too hard on it. 🙂
Vic Blu says
October 25 at 7:38 pmLOL, I actually started doing this, this year! I wish I’d known about this year’s ago! Thanks for sharing 😀
Charlotte Moore says
October 25 at 4:49 pmI used to have an electric knife. Have no idea if I still do or not. I need to see if I can find it.
Kimberley says
October 25 at 3:31 pmI’ve been wanting to get an electric knife for a while now, just so it would be quicker to cut our bread. I just haven’t done it because it didn’t seem like it would make THAT big of a difference, but if it’ll make my bread look nicc too I think I’ll go for it!
Linda W. says
October 25 at 2:46 pmThis makes perfect sense! I remember going to the bakery with my Dad when I was young. They sliced their bread with what could be described as a machine of electric knives!! Yeah! New use for an old friend.
OzarkHillbilly says
October 25 at 2:09 pmOh, also, I have to say that one of my favorite childhood memories is coming home from school on a cold winters day (a HALF MILE, in foot deep snow, uphill both ways, in bare feet)(all true, except the bare feet) and walking into our house and being welcomed by the smell of fresh baked home made bread just out of the oven. You CAN NOT slice warm home made bread perfectly, but when you let the butter melt into the bread fresh from the oven….
My mother loved us.
Barb-Harmony Art Mom says
October 25 at 2:06 pmThanks for the tip. My bread always ends up looking terrible but now I have this on my wishlist!
OzarkHillbilly says
October 25 at 1:53 pmI just have to say that there is NO SUCH THING as a badly sliced piece of home made bread. Anyone who has the gall to denigrate your uneven slices deserves to be met with cries of “KILL THE HERETIC! KILL THE HERETIC!!!” and never again be invited to break fast at your table.
ps: the little pieces that get torn off the edges of my slices? Those are my reward for taking the time and making the effort of making good hard crusty home made bread. Yum yum.
Jami says
October 25 at 9:43 pmHa! I’ll agree with you there – homemade bread is awesome. 🙂
linda says
October 25 at 11:19 amI’ve never tried an electric knife … they kind of scare me. 🙂 But maybe I will be brave.
Sadly, your link to the bread recipe is not working right now. Thought you might want to know. (But I’m enjoying the french baguettes and easy artisan bread recipes, which I gleaned from a simple search on your site) Love all your tips and recipes. 🙂
Pat says
October 25 at 9:36 amGreat tip!
Why have I not ever thought of that?
I just used my electric knife last week…to cut foam rubber for my couch cushions.
I’m sure it will work wonders on my bread.
Don’t worry… I cleaned it! LOL
Pat