The Italian Loaf

Yesterday afternoon Adam made two Italian loaves. The kitchen smelled warm and delicious. Here's the first loaf.  He cut it down the middle before baking, and it split perfectly.

The crust was thick and hard -- I could really tap on it! Here's a close-up;  you can see the cracking on the side.  The bread contracts as it cools, and this hard crust cracks. This is the crust that resists your teeth and says, "Crunch!"

Do I need to say anymore?