Baking Quality AACC International Method 10-12.

01
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Guidelines for Scoring Experimental Bread

Final approval September, 2012

Objective
These guidelines were developed to assist test bakers in scoring experimental
white pan bread produced by using Methods 10-09.01 and 10-10.03 or other
experimental baking procedures. The quality characteristics considered are loaf
appearance, crust color, crumb structure, and crumb color. Descriptors and
images are provided to illustrate a wide range of quality outcomes. Quality
parameters such as flavor, mouthfeel, and tactile crumb texture are left to the
discretion of the baker/evaluator, taking into consideration the objective of the
bake test.
Apparatus
1. Light source, to provide constant illumination for scoring (see Note 1).
2. Bread slicer (see Note 2).

Procedure
Loaves must be completely cool before scoring, because a warm crumb can
tear during slicing. The bread may be scored the same day or within 2 days of
baking. The loaves can be stored in a bread-storage cabinet with air circulation
to prevent excessive drying and shrinking or wrinkling, or they can be sealed in
plastic bags and kept at room temperature until scoring.
At the time of bread scoring, first assess the external loaf characteristics and
crust color of whole loaves under appropriate lighting. Next, cut the loaves
vertically in half across the middle with a sharp knife or into slices using a bread
slicer. If using sliced bread, evaluate a slice from the center of the loaf. Place the
half loaves or slices under the light, and evaluate the internal loaf characteristics.
Tactile crumb texture, mouthfeel, and flavor may be evaluated at this time, if
desired.
To ensure consistency in scoring over days, control loaves should be included
in each bake test. Ideally, control loaves should be included at the beginning and
intermittently throughout the bake. The control loaves should be of known
quality, against which all other loaves can be compared. This also ensures that
ingredients, yeast activity, processing conditions, and equipment function re-
main consistent among bakes.

Scoring External Loaf Quality

Consider the following characteristics when scoring external loaf appearance
(Tables I and II).
1. Shape. A high-quality loaf is symmetrical with a rounded top.
2. Smoothness or roughness of the sides. The side walls should be smooth
rather than coarse and should not contain holes or pits.
doi: 10.1094/AACCIntMethod-10-12.01
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Guidelines for Scoring Experimental Bread (continued)

TABLE I
Loaf Shape and External Appearance
Score Characteristics
0 No rise; square, bricklike shape; flat top; no break and shred
2 Very little oven rise, uneven or irregular shape, bumpy top, rough side walls, no break and
shred
4 Small or dwarf appearance, irregular shape, possible flat top, minimal or rough break and
shred
6 Normal appearance, rounded top, some break and shred
8 Very good loaf, rounded top, smooth side walls, high degree of break and shred
10 Large loaf, retains a straight and upright appearance, very high degree of break and shred

TABLE II
Crust Color
Score Characteristics
0 Excessively pale or dark
2 Grainy, uneven or mottled appearance, pale or dark
4 Slightly grainy or pale
6 Satisfactory color development, may be slightly grainy or pale
8 Good color development, smooth and even
10 Well-developed color, smooth and even

Fig. 1. Pup loaves with different external appearance scores.

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Guidelines for Scoring Experimental Bread (continued)

3. Degree of break and shred. The break and shred should be high and fairly
smooth, not excessive or rough or bulging.
4. Crust color. The crust color should be even and well developed. Lower
scores should be given if the crust color is too pale, grainy (light specks against
a darker background), mottled or uneven, nonuniform, or too dark.
Examples of loaves with different external appearance scores are shown in
Figure 1.
The size or volume of the loaf may greatly influence external loaf appearance.
Small loaves often have very little oven rise and generally score low because of

Fig. 2. Pup loaves with different external appearance scores. A, High, even and smooth break and
shred, and smooth side walls; B, slightly rough and uneven break and shred, giving the loaf a
misshapen appearance; C, no break and shred, although the general shape is even; D, rough break
and shred and somewhat uneven shape; E, very rough break and shred, rough side walls, dwarf,
round appearance, and some capping; and F, minimal break and shred, dwarf, round appearance, and
top tore open during baking. (Click on individual images to enlarge.)
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Guidelines for Scoring Experimental Bread (continued)

several factors (for example, low degree of break and shred, underdeveloped
appearance, rounded corners, and a pale crust). Conversely, overly large loaves
may have an “overblown” or “lopsided” appearance, and thus a slightly lower
score is assigned. Figure 2 illustrates a variety of loaf appearances with a score
and explanation for each. A high-quality loaf is included for comparison.

Scoring Internal Loaf Quality

Place the half loaves or slices under appropriate light and evaluate the
following characteristics.
1. Crumb structure. Evaluate crumb structure using Table III and the
reference images in Figure 3 as guides. Crumb structure should be even and
fine, with elongated cells along the outer edges of the slice. The crumb is
considered “coarse” if the cell walls are thick. An “open” crumb is one in which
there is a high proportion of larger cells. Uniform cell size gives the appearance
of an “even” crumb structure. In some cases, the crumb may have a very fine
structure with small, round cells and minimal elongation around the edges. This
crumb structure is considered “close” and should receive a lower score.

TABLE III
Crumb Structure
Score Characteristics
0 Very coarse, thick cell walls, open structure, uneven cells, irregular cell size distribution,
may contain large holes
2 Very coarse, thick cell walls, open structure, regular cell size distribution
4 Coarse but with somewhat even cell size distribution OR very open with large, uneven cell
size distribution OR very fine textured with small, round cells
6 Slightly open, fairly thin cell walls, somewhat uneven cell size distribution
8 Fine cells, thin cell walls, slightly open center, even cell size distribution, elongated and fine
cells around perimeter
10 Fine cells, very thin cell walls, fine and uniform cells in center, very even cell size
distribution, elongated and fine cells around perimeter

Fig. 3. Pup loaves with different crumb structure scores.

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Guidelines for Scoring Experimental Bread (continued)

The images in Figure 4 show how loaves with similar crumb structure scores
can have considerably different characteristics. Therefore, when scoring bread
crumb structure, it is important to include comments on why a particular score
was assigned.
Problems in the dough makeup steps (such as sheeting, rolling, and molding)
may give rise to crumb structure problems known as molding errors. Incorrect
molder pressure may result in air bubbles being trapped in the dough during
molding, creating large holes under the crust or within the loaf. A visible “swirl”
or molding errors may be a result of too much dusting flour or excessively dry
doughs. Comments regarding molding errors should be recorded but not con-
sidered when scoring the grain. Figure 5 shows loaves with molding errors

Fig. 4. Pup loaves with the same crumb structure score for different reasons. A, Crumb structure is
fine and fairly even but tight or close; B, crumb structure is even but cell walls are thick, giving the
crumb a coarse appearance; and C, crumb structure is irregular or uneven with a mixture of small
and large cells.

Fig. 5. Pup loaves with molding errors. Note the molding errors in comments but do not consider
them in the crumb structure score. A, Crumb structure is fairly even with a molding error under the
top crust; B, crumb structure is even with fine cell walls but slightly open with molding errors; C,
crumb structure is irregular and coarse with molding errors and a visible “swirl.”
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Guidelines for Scoring Experimental Bread (continued)

TABLE IV
Crumb Color
Score Characteristics
0 Unacceptably discolored
2 Yellow OR gray OR dull
4 Slightly dull OR slightly gray OR slightly yellow
6 Creamy
8 White OR slightly creamy
10 Bright white

(which do not reduce crumb scores) and a loaf that has a lower crumb score
because of other crumb structure problems.
2. Crumb color. Crumb color (Table IV) should be bright white or slightly
creamy. Assign a lower score if the color is yellow or gray or if it has a dull
appearance. A streaky crumb should also receive a lower score.

Optional Bread Quality Attributes

Other loaf quality attributes that may be evaluated include crumb texture,
flavor, and mouthfeel. The decision to evaluate these traits is up to the baker/
evaluator and depends on the purpose of the bake test. Including comments on
these factors may be sufficient rather than attempting to assign a score for each.
“Crumb texture” refers to the tactile texture of the crumb and is evaluated by
lightly running the finger tips over the crumb surface. This trait is generally
associated with crumb structure. A coarse, open crumb structure tends to feel
rough to the finger tips, whereas a fine, even crumb structure has a smooth, silky
feel. Crumb that feels moist and sticky or dry and crumbly should be reported.
In order to evaluate flavor and mouthfeel, it is necessary to eat a small piece
from each loaf. Therefore, this evaluation is also done at the discretion of the
baker/evaluator. Some descriptors for flavor are sour, sweet, bitter, yeasty, after-
taste, and off-flavor or foreign. Mouthfeel can be described as dry, gummy,
coarse, or tender.

Notes
1. Bread should be scored under constant illumination. Several controlled-
lighting booths are available in the market. If a constant illumination source is
not available, it is important to ensure that all of the breads are evaluated under
the same light source, such as in an area of the laboratory where the room light-
ing is the same at all times, to avoid the effects of different types of light on
color and crumb structure characteristics.
2. Loaves can be cut with a bread slicer, electric knife, or serrated bread knife.
When using a serrated knife, use a gentle back and forth sawing motion to
prevent tearing of the crumb.