I find that a measurement of the loaf's interior temperature is reliable.  A temperature of 195 - 200°F (91 - 93°C) is done.

Ford

is that you may be cutting into your bread too soon.  I know it's hard to resist, but you must let it cool before cutting into it, or your crumb will turn to mush.  But definitely measure the temp first and foremost, to be sure it truly is done. 

Thank you for your suggestions.  I certainly am cutting in too soon, on alot of occassions.  Isn't that part of the reason we make our own bread - so we can eat it hot from the oven?  I shall  buy a thermometer to measure internal temp.  Perhaps I can find one that can double as a bread and a candy thermometer. 

As I have grown up in the world of mass produced bread, sometimes it is difficult to know what to aim for when making my own bread.  As I am so accustomed to it, I like a really light, even fluffy texture, very soft on the inside, with a crunchy crust.  I actually like alot of the bread that can be bought in the large bakery stores - perhaps that makes me a pleb.  I make bread because we don't have any such bakeries within about 300km of where I live.  There is a bakery 100km's away that supplies our town but they only seem to know two recipes - a nice soft milk dough, which is fine for their sliced white, but too soft for rolls, and add a bit of fruit and sugar to the same dough to make cream buns, and finger buns. 

So, I guess I lack a good role model. 

I am using only a normal plain flour, and I add some bread improver to it, to increase the protein content.  I always get a good result from my yeast.  I like what I am reading here about a wetter dough, perhaps there is something in that.

Happy bread making.

S

Spraying the loaf three or four times at 15 minute intervals during the baking cycle can assist in the development of a crunch outer crust.  I've also found that using flour instead of oil when resting the loaf for the initial rise period and final proof helps.  OIl in the dough or on it's surface make it much more difficult for me to achieve a crispy crunch crust.

If you decide to spray your loaf during the baking period, remember to avoid spraying cold water onto your stone (assuming you use one) to avoid breaking it.

g'day outback,

welcome to TFL from a fellow down under man. what part of the big brown land do you inhabit?

What temps are you baking at? foccacia will bake quicker as it is usually a lot flatter so the centre of the loaf reaches the temp sooner.

A sweet dough flatened out and spread with fruits and nuts and rolled up to a log should fit the bill quite well. if you don't flatten the dough to thin you will have less swirls.

standard sweet dough suggestion

200g flour

2g salt

4g milk powder (optional)

32g sugar 

16g butter

1 egg (optional)

dry yeast 7g

water 95- 100g (baby bath temp)

finish dough temp 28deg C or 80 degF will give bulk fermentation time of an hour or so, knock back when fully fermented, hand up and allow to rest for a short while flatten  and cover with fruit / nuts whatever, roll up into log place on tray or in a tin cover with plastic bag and allow to double in size bake in the oven at 400degF or 190degC

prepare a sugar wash and brush top as soon as pulling from oven for a glossy top, put onto wire rack to cool

enjoy! YOZZA from Perth wa

There are 5 things I can think of off hand that can cause the crumb to be wet or soft and spongy.

1. You could be mixing your dough with to much water or hydration. But I doubt it unless it is very slack. Baguette dough is typically made at 67% Hydration. You would also have to be under baking it.
2. You might be baking at too hot a temperature so the crust gets hard early, but I doubt it. Baguettes can be baked at 500F but I use 470F.
3. You might skip the dough conditioner which might have some malt or sweetener that is browning the crust early. If you are using a standard All Purpose flour, look on the bag to the ingredients and check for malted barley or the word malt anywhere. You shouldn't need a conditioner if you are using any commercial AP flour.
4. If you can check your oven temp it would be helpful to know your settings are near where you think they are. There can be a wide error on some ovens and it matters. Baguettes should take 20-23 minutes to bake at 460F in a non convection oven (no fan).
5. The cooling process is actually part of the cooking. The inner crumb isn't set up and is not finished cooking until it cools for about 20 minutes. In France that's the law I think. Can't be sold before 20 minutes.

So, get some good AP or bread flour, mix the dough to 67% hydration, no conditioners and let it cool off for at least 10 minutes. No cheating !!

Eric

PS: Just re reading your post. Bread will feel hard when first out of the oven. Then as the moisture stabilizes and escapes, the crust softens. Is it warm where you are? Try leaving the bread in the oven an extra 5-10 minutes after the oven is off with the door propped open using a spatula. That will dry out the crust so it stays crisper longer.

Also, keep in mind that a hotter oven produces a moister loaf with crustier crust, and a cooler oven produces a drier loaf with softer crust.  Think about it this way, it takes longer to bake a loaf in a cooler oven, so it has more time for the interior to heat up and the moisture to evaporate away ...the inside of the loaf spends more time evaporating moisture out.  In a hotter oven, the outside will finish (color) more quickly and the inside of the dough won't have enough time to finish out-gassing moisture by the time the bread appears to be done.  In general, if your bread is turning out too moist, it indicates an oven that's too hot and vice versa.  If you are using the temperatures expressed in the recipe or formula, then make sure you get an accurate thermometer and double check that oven... it might be running too hot.  I had one that would run nearly 75 degrees too hot when set at the upper end of the temperature range, e.g. a setting of 450 F would result in 525 F in the oven!  Most will be within about 25 F of what you set, but can be up to 50 F off, especially at the lowest and highest temperatures.  Buy a thermometer and see where your oven is at.  If you are sure the baking temperature is correct and are still having moistness issues, then adjust up or down according to the rule above ...which may mean "hot and fast to get the oven spring and crust going, then cool off the oven to give the dough time to bake the moisture out."  Each oven is a little different in how it convects, whether it runs hotter or cooler, etc.

Brian

Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions.  I will exclude the flour conditioner, and turn some attention to the idea that my oven may be running hot. 

Thank you, Yozza for your recipe. I will try your sweet dough, and for a filling I am going to use a mashed date / walnut mixture that I use normally on a slice.  It has a truffle like consistency.  I may also add currants as I like their slightly tart flavour.

I am located in North West Queensland, in a tiny little outback town.  Nearest McDonalds is about 350km away, nearest Woolworths 260km.  I am about half way between Townsville and Mt Isa. 

I've been away for a week, and am looking forward to having a bit more of a look around this site and trying some of your recipes.

Cheers

Sara