Dear Bill,

I have noticed that the bread in my bread machine always comes out the same. I believe it is because they cycles are timed mechanically. When I want really light, soft bread, I make the dough in the machine and then let it rise twice before the final punch down, re-rise and bake. The two rises seems to make a finer crumb and, of course, you have the benefit of being able to see and feel your dough so that you can bake it at exactly the right time.

Best of luck to you!