What Is a Bread Knife & What Is It Used for in Cooking?

Bread knives, or pankiri as they are known in Japanese, are knives with long blades, usually 9 inches or more with a serrated cutting edge. These knives are one of many specialized kitchen knives that you’ll find from Japanese knife makers.

Pankiri bread knives are designed for more than just cutting bread—it’s an essential tool for slicing crusty loaves and pastries without crushing their delicate structure and can even be used on vegetables like tomatoes in a pinch.

Above all, the signature serrated blade sets a bread knife apart from other Japanese knives.

What Is a Bread Knife?

A pankiri is a serrated bread knife, with a blade length of usually 9 inches or more and an essential tool in a knife set.

Key features: a sturdy handle, long blade, serrated edge.

Alternatively can be called a pankiri (bread cutter) or serrated knife.

What Is a Bread Knife Used for in Cooking?

The razor sharp edges of the serrated blade helps to cut through various textures, such as the hard crust and soft interior of a loaf of bread without crushing. This type of knife is ideal for slicing bread, but can perform similarly well with delicate layers on pastries and other structured baked goods.

Common uses:

• Cutting breads with a hard crust (baguettes, sourdough, boules)
• Slicing pastries, cakes, and croissants without damaging delicate layers
• Cutting fruits and vegetables with tough or delicate skins (watermelon, tomatoes, melons)
• Handling soft, tender foods with soft interiors without squishing (sandwiches, bagels, soft cheeses, tomatoes)

Types of Bread Knives

You’ll find some variation in blade length (typically 7-12 inches) for various manufacturers of bread knives. Bread knives with shorter blades tend to be good for smaller items like bagels and sandwiches, but less useful on larger items. Choose a bread knife with a longer blade lengths to cut large items like round loaves of bread called boules.

We recommend a scalloped cutting edge (small c-shaped indentations) rather than a saw-toothed (uniform triangular) serrations. In the case of scalloped bread knives, you can cut in both directions, push and pull. Saw toothed knives will only cut in one direction.

Materials: Bread knife blades can be made in stainless steel,or high-carbon stainless steel. Stainless tends to be a more popular option for the ease of maintenance.

How to Identify a High-Quality Bread Knife

• Blade Material: Made from quality steel. Usually stainless steel blends are more suited to bread knives than high-carbon steel, which is harder and requires more care.
• Handle Design: Ergonomic, comfortable grips for ease of control.
• Serrated Edge: A well-crafted, serration pattern will have razor sharp cutting surfaces and can be used in both push and pull motion.
• Durability & Sharpness Retention: A high quality knife will last a very long time before the cutting edge becomes dull.

Can You Sharpen a Bread Knife?

Yes, but it requires special tools and techniques. Honing and normal whetstone sharpening won’t work due to the scalloped indentations on the blade edge, Specialized tools exist for individually sharpening each scallop.

Save your whetstone for sharpening your chef’s knife, paring knife, santoku or other Japanese cutlery. Visit our blog for more knife sharpening tips.

Best Practices for Use & Maintenance

Proper Cutting Technique:

• Use a sawing motion to precisely cut through you ingredient. Avoid applying downward pressure.
• Never attempt to cut hard bones or frozen foods with a Japanese knife.
• Use a soft cutting board, end grain wood, natural rubber or soft synthetic materials. Avoid bamboo, glass or marble cutting boards.

Storage Tips:

Use a knife block, blade cover, or magnetic strip.

Avoid loose storage to maintain edge integrity.

Learn more about How to Store Knives.

Cleaning Tips:

Hand wash with mild soap and dry immediately. Avoid dishwashers to prevent dulling and unnecessary wear and tear.

Why Every Kitchen Needs a Good Bread Knife

Japanese knives are perfect for home cooks and professional chefs alike.
Pankiri Japanese bread knives are a versatile kitchen tool beyond just slicing bread.

Investing in a high-quality bread knife means better slicing performance and longevity.
Shop Japanese Bread Knives at Chubo Knives.