Hi Susan, if you'd like to protect the bottom of your bread from turning into a very hard crust, consider placing your Dutch oven on a baking sheet. This will provide some extra heat insulation without compromising the quality of the rest of the loaf. Try using the tip along with the temperatures listed in the instructions here; high heat is critical to getting the right rise, crust, and crumb throughout your loaf. Happy baking! Kye@KAF

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