How to Slice a Crusty Loaf in Indiranagar
Cut a crusty loaf without squashing it: use a long serrated knife, saw with the full blade, and halve a round sourdough before slicing.
Quick answer: Slice a crusty loaf with a long serrated knife, resting the blade in a groove on top of the crust and sawing gently with the whole blade instead of pushing down. Cut a round sourdough in half first, then slice each half from the cut face outward — the loaf stays still and the slices come out even. The breads on the menu, including the 800g sourdough at ₹320 and the 600g multigrain at ₹220, are picked up whole at the counter.
Start with a cool loaf and a steady board
Warm bread smells wonderful and cuts badly. The crumb inside a loaf that hasn't cooled is still soft and gummy, so a knife drags through it and leaves torn, ragged slices. Let the loaf come to room temperature and the starch sets enough to cut cleanly.
Put a wooden board on the counter and stop it sliding: a damp cloth under the board is enough. A board that shifts mid-slice is how hands get cut.
Use a long serrated knife
A chef's knife is the wrong tool here. Its straight edge needs downward pressure to get through a hard crust, and that pressure crushes the soft crumb underneath. A serrated bread knife grips the crust with its points and cuts the crumb in the scalloped gaps between them, so you barely have to press at all.
Longer is better. A blade of about 9 inches or more lets you draw through the whole width of an 800g loaf in one movement instead of sawing at the end like a wedge.
Saw, don't press
Rest the knife on top of the loaf and make a few short, light back-and-forth strokes to start a groove. Once the blade sits in that groove, lengthen the strokes and use the full length of the blade, letting the knife's own weight do the work. Keep your free hand on the far side of the loaf, out of the blade's path, holding it steady rather than squeezing it.
If the loaf is sliding or the crust is fighting back, the blade is blunt or the strokes are too short. Sharpening a serrated edge is awkward, so treat a bread knife gently: hand wash it and dry it straight away.
Halve a round loaf before you slice
A boule rocks. Cut it down the middle, stand each half on its flat cut face, and slice from the middle outward. You get even, upright slices, and the half you're not eating can rest cut-side down on the board instead of drying out. If you plan to keep the second half for later, the sourdough storage tips cover what to do next.
Slice about a centimetre thick for toast and sandwiches, thicker if the bread is going under a filling. The garlic focaccia on the menu is easier cut into squares with a serrated knife than torn by hand.
Keep the slices together
Once cut, press the loaf back together loosely or stand it cut-side down so the exposed crumb is against the board rather than the air. Slices left fanned out on a plate go hard within hours.
Call +91 90000 00000 or email hello@crumbandcrust.test — open 8am–9pm daily. More ways to reach the shop on the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my bread squash when I cut it?
Usually the knife is short, dull or not serrated, so you press down to force it through the crust. A long serrated blade cuts with a sawing motion instead of pressure.
Can I slice bread straight from the shop?
Bread picks up at the counter is already cool, so it slices well. If a loaf still feels warm, give it time to cool — warm crumb is soft and tears.
Should I cut a round loaf in half first?
Yes. Halve a round sourdough or loaf, then slice each half from the cut face outward. The loaf stays stable and the cut side can rest face down between sessions.
Where do I pick up bread?
At the counter on 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, between 8am and 9pm any day. There is no delivery.