Baking Bread with the Romans: Part II – Panis Quadratus
> Now, we can debate whether these sections were made by a knife, by a cutter, or by twine but it is difficult to determine this from the carbonised loaves that have been excavated. It is probable that bakers may have used twine to define each of the eight sections of the panis quadratus but it does seem like a fairly intricate and tricky job to complete, requiring knots or loops at eight junctions on the twine that encircles the loaf horizontally.I really think that scoring the loaf after raising (their method) looks nothing like the either the carbonized loaf from Pompeii or the fresco shown. What they look like is more akin to sectioning with something blunt, either with twine or a piece of wood.Not to cut the sections, but to divide them so it can be pulled apart easily without a knife. It would be undesirable to actually cut the "skin" of the loaf. Then as they suggest, wrap twine around the circumference to pull it back together. The result would be more like a batch of rolls that can be pulled apart.It makes sense they'd want to sell a loaf that can be easily eaten without a knife. Just scoring the loaf as they show doesn't give you a loaf that tears apart, the scores end up being just decorative and bakers do that to avoid a split when it bakes.