Trying for a closed crumb.
Most of the search results I've spotted tell how to get an open crumb. This is all well and good, and I actually appreciate info on this (since I love a good open-crumbed bread,) but I've got a specific application for which I want a closed crumb.
I'm planning on making bread bowls for French onion soup. I can get the outside reliably crunchy and tough, but I'm used to making the inside nice and open. Anyone got any tips for me on it? Even my sandwich loaves are starting to come out with a decently open crumb - and I never thought I'd consider that a problem!
The ideal crumb, the way I see it, would be something that's chewy but doesn't have a lot of holes the soup could seep into. Making it chewy seems like it'd keep it from soaking in as much.
Thanks!