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Bread knives are serrated because of how they're used to slice bread: in a sawing motion. This back-and-forth action combined with the jagged teeth of the bread knife pierces and slices through the bread's crusty exterior without smushing its soft interior.
The bread saw knife, also known as a bread knife or bread cutter, is very useful for cutting this food into thin or thick slices. It is primarily characterized by its strong and long blade size with a wavy saw edge that allows you to cut without much effort or breaking the bread.
Global Sai Bread Knife
The Global brand is known among home cooks and professional chefs for its high-end design made entirely from stainless steel, handle included. The Sai Bread Knife's grip is a benchmark for ergonomics and is comfortable to hold with its thumb rest, no matter your hand size.
Pointed edge bread knives, which are often simply referred to as "serrated" knives, have sharp and aggressive teeth that are designed to pierce through the hard outer crust of breads using a saw-like motion.
There's no better tool than a razor-sharp serrated knife for slicing bread, sandwiches, or tomatoes. If you don't agree, just try cutting a fresh baguette without one.
The serrated edge gets its slicing ability from a number of factors. The high points on the serrations will touch the material first, and this gives those points higher pressure per area than if the same pressure was applied to a plain blade; this allows the serration to puncture more easily.
Don't move it along the edge, like you would a straight edged blade. Use the sharpener one serration at a time, sharpen it 5 or 6 strokes, then move to the next serration. Feel the back side when you're finished and if there is a burr, take a few strokes there, holding the knife at an angle so the side won't rub.
Serrated knives are used instead of a straight edge knife, such as a chef's knife or santoku, as the serrated edge has a much better ability to bite into food that is either too hard (e.g. bread) or too soft (e.g. tomatoes) than a straight edged knife.
The teeth grip what you're cutting, causing the knife to slice through it rather than just tear parts of the bread off. Serrations also make it easier to get through a crusty loaf of bread or a crispy roast because the teeth bite into the outer layer rather than slipping on it.
There are three primary knives that every home cook should have in their kitchen: a chef's knife, a serrated knife (also called a bread knife), and a paring knife.
Blade length is also another important consideration to make when shopping for a bread knife, as longer, narrower blades will minimize the amount of cutting you'll need to do to create thin, even slices. However, the standard length of any bread knife is approximately 7 inches to 10 inches.
Zwilling's double serrated knife performed almost as well as the double-serrated Wusthof. It stalled a couple times in the midst of slicing lots and lots of bread, but it was still able to achieve impressively thin bread slices. It also achieved entirely intact slices of tomato.
Unlike a chef's knife with its smooth, straight edge, a bread knife features toothy, saw-like serrations or scallops along its cutting edge. This acts just like a saw, slicing through food as you move the knife back and forth, rather than using downward pressure like you would with a chef's knife.
A manual knife sharpener's design allows the blade to ride up and down the serrations, sharpening not only the edges and tips, but the deep valleys too. Our favorite manual sharpener for serrated knives is the Chef'sChoice Pronto Diamond Hone for Santoku/15° Knives Model 463.
Serrated knives are versatile tools that excel in a variety of kitchen tasks, from slicing bread to cutting through tough-skinned produce. Their unique design allows for efficient cutting with minimal pressure, making them indispensable for both home cooks and professional chefs.
A serrated bread knife makes slicing sourdough bread easier because the saw-like points grip the crust and slice it cleanly through.
For instance, crusty bread or artisan loaves may have a hard outer layer that resists slicing smoothly. Additionally, soft and fluffy bread may squish or tear easily, making it challenging to achieve clean slices. Using a serrated knife and gentle pressure can help improve the slicing process for these bread types.
Always use a serrated bread knife! A long serrated knife is ideal. Do not try to cheat and use a small steak knife. You will make a mess and be left disappointed.
Cons: Serrated blades, while better at cutting hard materials, are less precise then plain edges and can tear the object being sliced. Serrations are also significantly more difficult to sharpen.
To sharpen a serrated knife, only one half—the flat side, not the serrated side—is sharpened. Doing so calls for a computerized piece of equipment such as a Tormek, a Swedish-made sharpening tool with a grindstone and a leather honing wheel.