Hi Kathleen, most likely a tough hard crust is related to your steaming and baking method. Adding steam to the initial oven spring period (first 15-20 minutes of baking) helps allow for full expansion and contributes to a richly colored, crispy crust. However, moisture throughout the baking process can result in a thick, tough crust, so you do want to be sure that your bread is allowed to finish baking in a dry oven. If you're baking in a Dutch oven you'll want to remove the lid about halfway through the bake. For other steaming methods, check out this blog post. You might also want to try reducing your preheating and baking temperature a bit. Everyone's oven is different, but it's possible your oven is running a little hot, which could also contribute to a harder crust. 

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