How to avoid crumbs when cutting a crispy bread?

Question

When cutting a crispy bread, I usually end up with such a mess: (baguette in this example)

Crumbs all over the place. How can I avoid those crumbs and have a clean cut of the bread?

Answer 1

I also came across this problem some time back. The reason why it happens is that the upper part of the loaf is kept usually fluffy in most of the breads hence causing it to crumble when cut. The lower side of the bread loaf on the other hand is softer and firmer than it's top.

THE HACK : Keep the loaf upside down and then cut it. You can moisten your knife a bit or apply butter for best results.

See this Illustration:

It works!

Answer 2

You can place a cooling rack, or an oven rack, across your kitchen sink. The loaf goes on top of that while you're cutting slices. All the crumbs wind up in the sink, which makes them easy to rinse down the drain. Just be sure to hold onto each slice of bread when it's about to be separated from the loaf so it doesn't fall through the rack!

You could also place the rack across a clean kitchen trash container, so the crumbs fall straight into the trash bag.

(BTW, I saw lumber in my sink too, to catch the sawdust. I live in an apartment that doesn't have outdoor areas conducive to woodworking. When sawing lumber, I first add a wet paper towel in the bottom of the sink to catch most of the sawdust.)

Answer 3

One way I found is to wet the knife before starting to cut.

When the knife is wet, there are less crumbs.

Still not ideal, but better than nothing.

Answer 4

Having the best bread knife (or as it is sometimes called, bread saw) helps.
You also have the use it right, making a sawing motion, not pushing it much (or at all.)
It does not need to be an expensive knife, it has to have the right make, with saw like teeth (if flat, not at an angle as saws have.)

In kitchen stores (and some cheaper shops) you can find two part bread boards, one a dish to catch the crumbs, the other on top open slats of wood, allowing the crumbs to fall through.
When you keep the bottom part clean, you can catch and use the crumbs if you want. In cooking many people use bread crumbs.

I did an internet image search on -cutting board bread, two parts- and found this one among many others. Only commercial links, as far as I could see, so no photos here.

Answer 5

I do that inside a big transparent plastic bag. Yes, the bread, the cutting board, the knife, both of your hands - put them all deep inside the bag, then cut the bread.

Answer 6

When I go to the bakery and buy crumb prone bread, I ask them to slice it for me --- problem avoided! Packed in a plastic bag it remains fresh.