I've baked several loaves of bread using the "My Daily Bread" recipe on this site. Every time it's come out very good but I can't get the crust right. When it comes out of the oven the crust looks perfect, dark brown, and crusty, but as it cools it gets paper thin and soft. Am I not baking it long enough, to long, or something else? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Norm (nbicomputers), in response to my question in his introduction topic, suggested I start a new topic. The question is: How do you get a crackly crust on a sour rye bread?

The sour rye I bake is based on George Greenstein's formula in "Secrets of a Jewish Baker." The formula below is what I actually made, though. The changes from Greenstein are: 1) I used instant yeast rather than active dry yeast, 2) I used whole rye rather than white rye to feed my rye sour, 3) I used 1T rather than 1/2 T of caraway seeds and 4) I used 2 1/2 tsp rather than 3 tsps of salt.

My wife loves Panera Crispani. What kind of flatbread should I make to mimic theirs?

Hi all

Have been reading all the latest posts, and I have GOT to try CB miche - looks absolutely amazing.

Back to my post -

I bought a loaf of white sourdough (shock! horror!, but its the first time in the last couple of months) -

and the texture on the loaf is wonderful - small, consistent bubbles inside, light, thin crust and

really soft and fluffy inside.

All the loaves that i've been baking are really tasty, but tend to be a bit heavy and dense inside.

How to I achieve that fluffy texture?

Thank you

HP

No, I'm not talking about my gluteus maximus.  

I'm talking about my glutinous maximus.  

I'm baking on a baking stone at high heat.  Have only been doing it that way for a few weeks.  And I like the effect of stone + steam on my crust, and I'm getting great oven spring.

What's puzzling me is that the bottoms of my loaves are coming out soft!  Top and sides have great, crunchy crust.  Bottom is simply soft.  It's cooked, but it's soft.

Here's a tip from the San Francisco Baking Institute ( http://www.sfbi.com/bakers_tips.html ) regarding steaming loaves for crisp crust.

 *****

OK, back in the saddle in my own kitchen again..getting some of the same results with BBA baguette.  Problem: Anemic crust, very little color, and not crispy at all.  Taste is fine.