Central Florida humidity is the enemy of crust. A loaf that stays crackly for three days in Colorado will go leathery here by tomorrow afternoon if you store it wrong.
Day one and two: cut side down on a wooden board, uncovered, out of direct sun. No plastic. Plastic traps moisture against the crust and softens it within hours.
Day three onward: a paper bag inside a bread box, or a clean linen towel. If your kitchen runs above 78°F with the AC cycling, lean toward paper and check daily.
Never the refrigerator. Fridge temperatures stale bread faster than the counter — the starch retrogrades quickly right at that temperature range.
For anything past four days, slice the whole loaf and freeze it flat in a zip-top bag. Toast straight from frozen; it comes back remarkably close to fresh.
And if a loaf does get past its prime: croutons, panzanella, French toast, or breadcrumbs. Day-old sourdough is an ingredient, not a loss.