August 11, 2008 - 6:03pm
Chewy crust
Lately, whether I've been baking lean country bread or rich brioche, the overly chewy crust has continued to haunt my loaves. When I take my loaves out of my oven, the crust is a little dry (but not crispy =( ) and after they've cooled down, they get all thick and chewy I've always steamed my oven with about half a cup of water, so that probably isn't the reason why. The only thing that has changed is that I sometimes brush the top of my loaves with a little bit of cold water, could that be the problem? If it isn't, then are there any ways to make it softer or crispier?