I have not been baking bread for very long, but I do believe that I have done a very good job. My bread comes out beautifully, it taste great, and my wife loves the house smelling like fresh bread. I have read so much on different techniques on baking bread in the general since but have yet to come across something or someone that can shed some light on how i can make my bread have a hard yet soft chewy crust. Mine always comes out of the oven hard but as I let it cool it becomes soft, but it still is very chewy. Please help someone!
Just to clarify, do you want a hard crisp crust or a soft chewy crust? (or a crisp but chewy crust?).
Most breads' crust get softer, than when it first comes out of the oven, as it cools down on the cooling rack during the release of internal steam. After it has completely cooled (at least 2 hours after baking) things will usually firm up depending on how it was baked, and with sourdough bread, the crust will be harder the next day and crumb more firm if not wrapped in anything.
Are you using steam during the first 10-15 min. of the bake? Using a baking stone? What temps are you baking at, and for what types of dough (yeasted, lean, enriched, sourdough?).
Assuming you mean lean hearth bread, if you steam initially, and pre-heat the oven to a high temp like 450-500 before loading and steaming, you will be on the start of a good crust. Once the bread is done on the inside (200-205F), you could try turning the oven off and leaving the bread inside another 5-10 minutes (keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn on the outside). If using an electric oven, you may have to crack it open to vent any excess steam (gas ovens vent already). That will usually provide a thicker crust that will stay harder even after the bread has cooled.
Many bakers like to cover their loaves during the initial bake which helps with steaming the crust, using a cloche, roasting pan lid, or baking in a covered cast iron pot, but you need to uncover after about 15 min. to get the crust to crisp up.
Hope that helps...good luck
I am trying to bake a yeasted rustic style loaves. I am using steam, using a baking stone, and my temp is in the range of 450- 500. Now don't get me wrong, my dough comes out great and I am still experimenting ith different hydration levels, but I am just looking for a crisper chewy crust instead of a rather soft chewey crust. Thanks for the help.
Disclaimer -- I'm not an expert... just another retired guy baking bread.
I have found that getting steam into the oven as soon as possible during the bake increases the density of the crust.
I use a cloche [or a Le Creuset dutch oven] with lid... this keeps the steam close to the dough... and it does its job!
So -- my bread is rather crusty. Rub-a-dub-dub with butter just after it comes out of the oven, and voila! Softer, significantly tastier crust!
When I bake outdoors on a pizza stone within a Big Green Egg -- the Egg is ceramic, and with controlled airflow within the unit, the steam from the dough is contained for quite some time within the Egg. Think of charcoal-powered [lump] ceramic cookers as mini-Italian-pizza-ovens. Same results as using a cloche indoors.
Depending on the amount of charcoal, kind of charcoal [etc], how long into the burn [etc], I can control the amount of "smokiness" taste within the bread. For me and my house -- we like none...
Back to your original question -- crispi-crust... Moisture control early in the bake cycle. Indoor or outdoor baking, I've gotten "caveman-control" of the crust.
~ Best!
~ Broc