Crust Improvements?

Making no knead sourdough. Excellent flavor but too crusty, crust is tough, especially on bottom Using Pampered Chef stoneware loaf pan. Any suggestions on crust improvements?

Have baked covered for 30+ mins and lessened uncovered.

Try lowering your temp (a fair bit) and extending the baking time.

In the recipe I put on Breadtopia, to get a somewhat less crusty crust, I use 20 minutes at 450f covered and then 30 minutes at 400f uncovered. You could experiment with even lower temps.

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Thanks for the suggestion, Paul. I’ve had the same problem and will trying lowering the temperature mid-way next time.

I totally agree with Paul. Every oven is different so you need to experiment to find what works best in yours. 450 for the first 20 minutes covered and another 20-25 minutes uncovered works in my oven.

I have lowered temp, etc but crust on bottom and to some extent sides is still tough, not light as I would like. I’m wondering if it is my baking vessel. I have tried two vessels. I’ve used:
Pottery we bought at a craft fair that came with a beer bread recipe
Pampered Chef Clay Bread Loaf pan

I read about getting moisture into oven, we have electric oven.
Maybe my crust just is at it is too. Not sure, but I’d like to get a crust more like SF sourdough we used to get in Seattle :slight_smile :slight_smile:

Any other suggestions?

Have you tried a covered baking vessel?? A Dutch oven casserole dish will work well if you have one. Preheat the vessel to 500 degrees before adding your dough. Cover the dough for the first 20 minutes of baking. This will steam your bread and boost your oven-spring. Uncover after 20 minutes and turn the oven down 50 degrees or so for another 20-30 minutes. Times/temps depend on your oven. This schedule works in mine.
I get a better rise if give the dough a quick mist with water before I cover it. Steam is what you’re going for. Baking in a covered vessel will really up your baking game.
Good luck!

I never uncover my clay pots when I bake, but you could add a layer of cornmeal in the bottom of your pot with parchment paper under your dough to help insulate the bottom. If you want softer crust then you can try a loaf using a regular bread pan and bake it @ 350. For a softer bottom, you can also try raising your oven rack higher and put a larger cookie sheet on the lower shelf. Just some ideas that you can try.

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