I mentioned this in my blog, but thought I'd bring it to the forums as well where it might get more attention -- for those who've already seen it, I apologize for the repetition.

So, the issue. I made a big 2.5 lb. boule of desem bread over the weekend. It turned out beautifully as far as color, lightness and flavor are concerned, but, for the second time since I started using rice flour to dust my bannetons, the crust was not so crispy.

I'm wondering, could it be the use of rice flour to dust my banneton that's the culprit? I love how effortlessly even the stickiest dough pops out of the banneton or couche with just a thin layer of rice flour, but since I started using it, I've gotten chewy, not crispy, crusts, and they should be crispy at 500 degrees F in a cloche. And before, when I dusted my banneton with wheat flour, I got a nice, crispy crust.

Anyone else have this experience? I don't mean to malign the rice flour, but it's the only thing I can think of that I'm doing differently.