I can get a good thick crust on my Italian-style breads (e.g. Pugliese) but they invariably lose their crunch after cooling off. I've tried the canonical tips (spray bread, spray oven walls, boiling water underneath, ice cubes underneath, etc.) but nothing seems to help preserving the crust. The Pugliese I buy from the local bakeries keeps it's crunch for a couple of days.
Any ideas? What do commercial bakers do to keep the crunch?
Has anyone tried letting the bread cool off in the oven with the door cracked? My thought is that the steam causes the softening so the warm air might help keep the crust at a lower relative humidity.
Thanks, Andrew