Hey Louise, I have found that covering the loaf with a cotton tea-towel as soon as its out of the oven, for 10-15mins then remove, softens the crunch a little.

I had the same problem. Refrigerating it completely deflated the dough. I’m not a novice either, so I get your frustration. I figure I’ll freeze it and either make a bread pudding or use it for breadcrumbs at some point. I might try the recipe again and skip using the fridge.

Hi Macie, There is a little too much dough for a standard size (9×5-inch) loaf pan, so you could try dividing the dough in half and using 2 loaf pans. The edges should still crisp up and the bake time may vary. Or, here is our sandwich bread recipe if you’re interested.