Achieving a crunchy crust without burning

Any strategies for getting a perfect crust without burning the top of the loaf? I baked in a preheated Dutch oven at 480 for 20 mins, then removed the lid and dropped the temperature to 465. Within 3-4 minutes, the top of my loaf was quite dark so I removed it. After the bread cooled, the crust became very soft (the bread was fully cooked though). Thanks for the help!