Allow the bread to cool completely before placing it in a brown paper bag. If the loaf has been cut into, store it in a plastic bag and recrisp it in the following way. Place the loaf cut side down on the oven stone or baking sheet. Turn the oven to 400°F. and check after 7 minutes. The crust should be crisp and the crumb will be warm.
The only way to know for sure is by inserting an instant read thermometer into the center of the bread. It should read between 180 to 212°F.
Choose a bread that does not have a high amount of fat (or sugar). Spritz the shaped, risen dough with water just before placing it in the oven and steam the oven (using boiling water or ice cubes poured into a preheated pan on the floor of the oven). Leave the oven door partially ajar for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking. Bake the bread until it is 212°F. so that residual steam inside the bread does not soften the crust on cooling.
A preheated baking stone or quarry tiles are ideal. Allow it or them to preheat for a minimum of 45 minutes. Stone retains heat, giving better oven spring or rise to the loaf, and absorbs moisture yielding a crisper crust. To avoid sprinkling flour or cornmeal on the stone, Silpain, or Silpat (both are silicone mats but Silpain is black and has little holes for breathing), or parchment, can be placed directly on the stone.
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