crust

[MTL]

Every time I bake bread in my oven (which I do more and more now that I am getting tired of the limitations of my bread machine) I find it nearly impossible to get a proper crunchy crust.

I take the bread out when it sounds hollow and feels hard to teh touch, but when I leave it to cool on a rack it seems the steam from the inside slowly comes through and makes the crust soft. the end result feels a bit like a soft bun.

what does work is putting the bread back in the oven once it has completely cooled and give it a short second bake- this gives it a firm crust but I am sure that's not how the pros do it.

anybody can help me?

thanks

MTL

[Jock]

Bread is a very popular topic on this forum. If you use the search feature you can find all kinds of discussions on th subject.
In the meantime, your crust problem can have any number of causes and if you tell us more about the recipe and method you are using, one of our resident experts can help. Not all breads are intended to have a crispy crust and yours might be one of them.
Incidentally, if I were you I would invest in an instant read thermometer ($12 to $15 depending on your source) to test bread for doneness. Although it varies slightly from one recipe to another, you are generally looking for an internal temperature of around 200 degrees. It is more reliable than the thumping method.

Jock