Crust on bread baked in bread maker

[Labontet]

I have a question about the crust of my bread that I make in a bread maker.
The crust comes out "hard". I have tried the "light colored crust and the medium colored crust" setting on my machine, both have come out as what I consider hard. I have made regular white bread and sour dough bread. I have used bread flour and then all purpose. The crust is still the same. Is this normal?

[foxxyroxie]

This happened to me too. I thought I was doing something wrong. I now go thru the dough cycle and then form loaves and put them in bread pans and bake them in the oven. And besides, this way, it looks like I made it by hand rather than in the bread maker... LOL.

[Labontet]

Thanks foxxy

I am going to try this tomorrow. Sounds like a plan.

I will let you know later if it works for me too.

[Palooka]

My old bread machine did the same thing with the crust no matter what. I bought another one and I don't have this trouble. (well it was a gift)

[Labontet]

Palooka my machine is kinda old.
Maybe that is the problem.

[Palooka]

Could be. You could always ask Santa for a new one.

[MaryCarney]

Another thought is this: I always brush melted butter on my loaves when they are still hot, then cover with a tea towel until they cool. This doesn't change the color, but ut really softens the crust.

[frugalfranny]

I have a question about the crust of my bread that I make in a bread maker.
The crust comes out "hard". I have tried the "light colored crust and the medium colored crust" setting on my machine, both have come out as what I consider hard. I have made regular white bread and sour dough bread. I have used bread flour and then all purpose. The crust is still the same. Is this normal?

Looked in the trouble shooting part of my book.........it says nothing to help.......unless heavy, thick texture............then too much flour or old flour.

Hard crust makes for great dipping bread..........dig out the garlic olive oil and some balsamic vinegar and do some dipping!!!

I am going to try MC's thing with the butter..........thanks.

In the past I have been too busy putting butter on the hot bread TO EAT!! LOVE hot bread and butter.........YUM!!

[Labontet]

Good points everyone. I will try each of them on future loaves to see which one works best. Thanks to all for your input.

[Saule]

If you are baking in the machine, be sure to take it out when it's done - I know some of them have cool down cycles, but you are better off turning the loaf out, brushing with butter or even with water, covering with a cloth to help the moisture stay in the crust.

Also, you can try taking the bread out about five minutes before the cycle ends. Even with precise measuring, there is always just a little variation in the liquid/flour ratio. Taking it out a few minutes early can also help.

[lparker]

After it cooled a bit, put in plastic bag and seal for a day or two (if you can wait that long to eat it ) But I like a chewy crust, so send it to me!

Lee