Sounds like it needs more soaking.
Once soil is dry to depth, you cannot moisten it in one go, it needs time to absorb moisture, say 20 minutes per day for a week, depending on the area.
The push a bamboo in to see.
Once fully moist to considerable depth, you can leave it unwatered (and in our UK climate uncovered) until it’s time to sow and plant, because the damp soil will hold the moisture under a drying mulch.
