[nowIamone]

Rick,
If you are in Seattle, I know you can find good crusty bread!!
Here's our Italian family trick.........and our family was one of the first families of the Pike Place Market.
Oven at 325, (so pull those potatos, the oven will loose heat while door is open, so you can use it right away, then set it for 325) turn the cold water on in the facet, (make it a good size stream of water, don't be shy) take the whole loaf of bread in your hands and run the water over it on one side, flip the loaf over and move the loaf back through the water stream. do this swiftly. Give it a flick or two over the sink, to shake off the excess water and throw it in the oven on the rack, (no pan) for 10 to 12 minutes, perfect timing to move things to the table. Remove bread from oven, slice it with a very sharp, thin bladed, long knife, wrap in napkin lined basket. If you don't cut completely through with each slice, then loaf will stay intact, and hold the heat better.