My bread has a soft crust – what can I do for a harder crust? (2024)

FAQs

My bread has a soft crust – what can I do for a harder crust? ›

High heat gives you the hard crust. You need to bake at different temperatures: an initial high one just enough to generate the rise, followed by a lower temperature to dry out the interior. I bake 5" Pullman bread.

Use a pizza stone or cloche

So heat and steam are a key part of getting that crust of dreams. To help even more, pre-heat a pizza stone in the oven before starting to bake. Place the baking tray or tin directly onto the baking stone. This brings a hot surface into (almost) direct contact with the bread you're baking.

As the loaf cools, any moisture which is left in the loaf escapes through the crust as steam and this is what causes the softening. You can help to prevent this from happening by reducing the water content of the loaf.

The trick is to heat the bread up so that water can be reabsorbed into the starch granules once again so it can revert to its springy, fresh-bread state. Now, if you have sliced bread you want to do this too. You can simply pop it into the toaster for a few seconds.

Baking quick breads at too high temperatures can cause a hard outside crust. Most quick breads bake in a moderate oven (350°F to 375°F). Double check your recipe to see the temperature they recommend. Oven thermostats can vary over time, requiring adjustments by the baker or calibration by a professional.

1. Crusty bread can be stored uncovered at room temperature for the first day. By the end of the day, it's best to wrap it in foil (not plastic) or in a paper bag and kept at room temperature for a second day. After the second day, it's really best to freeze it.

Knocking back. This is a technical term for punching or pressing down on the dough after the bread's first rise. This process bursts the tiny air bubbles that have formed in the dough and then forces them to reform again in the final shape you want, which results in a smoother texture.

Steam in the oven and subsequently on the surface of your loaves helps keep that skin pliable and stretchy during baking. If your dough dries and bakes too quickly on the exterior, it can harden off before it rises to its full potential (and you may not see a satisfying gringe, either).

The flour you used may have contained too much protein. Protein is one of the ingredients that help yeast bread brown. Use bread flour that is purchased at a grocery store or a national brand of all-purpose flour. You may have overdone it on the protein.

What makes bread dough hard? ›

The overworked dough will often feel tight and tough. This means that liquid molecules have been damaged and won't stretch properly, causing the bread to break and tear more easily. Conversely, a dough that is underworked will be harder to form into a ball shape.

Try raising the oven rack so the bottom is not as close to the heat. Your oven may be hotter than you think. Use an oven thermometer to assure your oven is the proper temperature. Try placing a baking pan on the rack below the bread to block some of the heat.

The flour you used may have contained too much protein. Protein is one of the ingredients that help yeast bread brown. Use bread flour that is purchased at a grocery store or a national brand of all-purpose flour.

Here are some: adding a fat will keep the bread fresher for longer (I use butter), adding some honey, using a scalding technique when making your dough (tangzhong or yudane) which is known to hyper-hydrate the flour and keep moisture locked in better for longer shelf life.