Help! Hard crust every time
Hi All.
I need some advice/help. All breads I've backed so far have all given me very hard crusts. When I try to cut the loaf with a bread knife I wind up crushing the loaf. I feel like I'm having to saw it like a piece of wood, once it gets going its ok. The first several breads I made I used different recipes, but the last 5 loaves I've made were using the San Francisco Style Sourdough found on this site. Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?
I'm using the Oregon Trail starter from Friends of Carl and follow the ingredient list. I'm using Pillsbury bread flour, table salt, and tap water. The only 3 things I've changed is the amount of flour based on how wet it is, retarding it in the frig, and the method of kneading. Half the time I knead it by hand and the other half I've kneaded using my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I usually put it in the frig but the last 2 times I did not.
Thanks,
Chris