<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

In response to Kevin's question (and as a new owner of a Zojirushi bread
machine) if your bread rises well but falls leaving a well in the center
when baked, you may have too much liquid in the recipe.

Speaking as an experienced bread baker, using milk fresh from the fridge,
you risk having organisms in the milk take over the the bread dough and
turn it into a fallen mass. This is why, in baking wheat breads, the
recipes call for cooled "scalded" milk (milk heated just until a light haze
of steam begins to rise off the surface). I assume this is why powdered
milk works well; the scalding process was probably part of the
manufacturing process or, at the very least, the organisms found in "wet"
milk would not be so lively in the "dry." So if you =do= use milk, I
suggest you scald it (then cool it) first.

The bread machine recipes in Bette Hagman's =More From...= book do work
well but even with these, you may find just a little too much liquid or
slightly mismeasuring flour has serious effects on your loaf!

(Some notes: Her Boston Brown Bread recipe uses "molasses" but does not
specify what kind and that makes a =big= difference. Light molasses' that
claim smoothness -- and, not incidently, provide very little iron -- turn
out a light colored loaf that resembles not at all true Boston brown bread.
For a dark, strongly flavored loaf much more like its namesake, use
blackstrap molasses -- and get an iron boost!

(The orange pumpkin bread recipe gives a loaf with a taste and texture
reminiscent of my favorite homemade whole wheat bread! I think I may try
putting this in my classic Sticky Cinnamon Roll recipe.)

Linda
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Midland TX