Crust is tough

Ask yourself

• How strong is the flour used?
• Was the dough over-kneaded?
• How long was the bake?

Likely causes

1. #1

   Flour too strong or dough overworked for the intended style

   Generally accepted

   Excess gluten development beyond what a style calls for produces a chewier, tougher result than intended.

2. #2

   Overbaked

   Generally accepted

   Extended time in the oven dries out and toughens the crust structure.

Rescue it now

Not fixable once baked

Prevent it next time

Match flour strength and kneading intensity to the target style, and monitor bake time closely

Related

Go deeper

Guides that treat this as an outcome to improve, an environment to work with, or a flavour to understand, rather than only a problem to fix.

Related problems at this stage