I made a double batch because there was enough tangzhong to do so and because I wanted to test how the bread 'kept'. Also, I cut back on the amt. of sugar when I made the bread. The tangzhong definitely helps in keeping the bread fresh longer. Mine is still relatively soft over 24 hrs. after baking which impresses me enough to try adapting this technique to some of my other bread recipes. My loaves had a very nice crispy crust fresh out of the oven. Note that I'm baking in a toaster oven and the top of the loaves were very close to the top of the oven. Maybe it's just me (or the flour I used--Pillsbury Bread flour, but I thought the bread was lacking a bit in flavor. OR, since the recipe doesn't call for any salt & I didn't add any, perhaps that's part of the problem...salt helps to rein in the action of yeast and I noticed that the dough was really spunky and rose quite fast. No doubt, retarding the rise would help a lot to develop flavor. Nice crumb but the bread has a little different 'mouth feel'. Kinda' weird but not necessarily disagreeable. Agree that it would make great rolls which is what I'll likely do with the recipe next time, along w/ a bit of salt & at least an overnight ferment in the refrigerator to help develop more flavor. All in all, the recipe is worth trying. Thank you for sharing it with us, Pat.

Hot Cross Buns and Greek Easter Bread come to mind, and Greek Easter Bread is a basic enriched Danish dough with anise flavoring or aniseed, and formed in a braid in a circle. #1. Find out how much the flour capacity is for your bread machine before using a non-bread machine recipe. For instance, my Zojirushi bread machines (V-20 and X-20) have a 5-cup capacity if I'm going to bake in it. The old Zojirushi S-15 had a 4-cup capacity. If I'm only use it to mix/knead the dough, I can use a larger amount of flour for a recipe - BUT - I take the dough out of the bread machine as soon as kneading is complete and proof it in a dough-rising bucket - NOT the bread machine. 2. As chas045 pointed out, check your dough. Check the condition of the dough during the first 5 minutes of kneading and adjust it for hydration at that time by adding more flour or adding more liquid - whatever is necessary - if the dough doesn't form a soft tacky ball. The amount of flour necessary for any bread recipe is just a good (or bad) guess. If the recipe called for high-gluten bread flour, and you used all-purpose flour, it would take more all-purpose flour (or less liquid) because of the lower gluten (protein) content in all-purpose flour. Gluten soaks hydration like a sponge, so you have to adjust to those differences if you switch from one flour type to another. 3. Do a search on-line for a bread machine recipe for "Easter bread" and try to locate one that is similar to what you are wanting to make and one that will work in your bread machine. Have a blessed Easter! -Grainlady

Here is the recipe I normally use: Eggplant Parmigiana 2 medium eggplants (select ones that are long and somewhat narrow) Kosher salt Flour, for coating 2 eggs 2 tbsp water 1-1/2 cups Panko or dry breadcrumbs 1/4 tsp cayenne Avocado or grape seed oil, for deep frying 1 pound Mozzarella 1/4 pound sharp Provolone 1/4 pound Parmesan cheese Sauce: 1-1/2 cups (12 oz.) Marinara (tomato) sauce 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 3-4 cloves garlic, minced (optional) Directions: Slice the eggplant into 1/2â thick rounds and place in a large bowl with a large amount of salt, enough to coat all cut sides. You can toss the slices in the bowl if it has a cover to get the salt more evenly distributed. Then place the slices in a colander or other large pan (such as a steaming basket) with the slices vertical, and allow it to drain for one hour. Remove the slices from the colander and wipe off the excess salt with a brush or towel, and dry the pieces with a clean towel if they are very damp. Note: Do not leave overnight! While the eggplant is draining, add the basil, olive oil, and garlic to the tomato sauce for extra flavor. It is not necessary to cook the sauce at this point. Prepare the mozzarella by cutting it into fairly thin slices, and grate the Provolone and Parmesan. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 375ð and have a platter ready with paper towels for draining. Place about a cup of flour in a bowl for dipping, and mix the breadcrumbs with the cayenne in another bowl. Blend the eggs with the 2 tbsp water in a third bowl, and place the bowls in a row for coating. Prepare each slice by first lightly coating it with flour (shake off excess flour), dipping in egg, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Deep-fry each slice in the oil until lightly golden on both sides (approx. 3 minutes per side) and then drain on paper towels. When all the slices have been fried, get an 8âÂÂx13â (or equivalent) glass or ceramic baking dish and brush olive oil on the bottom and sides to prevent sticking. Spread a very thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, and then place a layer of eggplant over that. Put a small amount of tomato sauce over each slice and then a slice of mozzarella over each piece, and sprinkle a bit of Provolone and Parmesan over that layer. Repeat this process until the baking dish is full, but do not overfill. The final layer will be tomato sauce with no cheese. I prefer to have all the cheese between the layers of eggplant, but you can put some on top as well. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 375ð for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Pinot Noir or Chiati is good with this dish. I serve it with a side dish of pasta plus bread. I have another version that I make using okra instead of eggplant, but you can definitely use zucchini instead of eggplant, but eggplant is my...

That's odd about the orange juice. It's really supposed to be there to help neutralize anti-nutrients, but it only works for a long rise. I use vitamin C crystals instead. Fresh whole wheat flour isn't bitter unless it's an old fashioned hard red wheat that Grainlady told us about. The I have several kinds of wheatberries and they're always sweet when freshly milled. Once milled, whole wheat flour can go rancid fairly quickly because there are more natural oils in it. This can also make the bread bitter, and it's my theory that that's why so many people put sweetener in their whole wheat breads. 100% whole wheat is tricky because the bran can cut the gluten. It doesn't rerise well, and doesn't want to be handled a lot. Additionally, it doesn't usually rise as fast or as high. though there are some who say they have the knack. For the moisture, however, you need time for the flour to absorb the water. Both for dough quality (including the moistness) and better nutrition you should do a preferment and a soaker, which is the opposite of most bread machine recipes. You should be able to adapt a recipe, however. I don't use a bread machine but as I understand it, it uses instant (rapid rise) yeast for a fast rise. Instead, use small amount of regular yeast, and start it with a small portion of the flour and water. Set it aside to rise and for the yeast to multiply. Like overnight. It should double. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients to soak up the water. It'll start off seeming very dry, but it'll be moist and sticky after at least 8 hours. You can probably mix it right in the machine and turn it off to soak. Then mix in the preferment and knead. Turn it off again to let it rise. Then bake. You might do well baking right in the machine. Otherwise, let it rise on whatever pan you mean to bake it in. If you don't handle it once it's risen, you won't lose so much of your rise, giving you a better sponge and more chance that it won't be dense or heavy. Good luck!