Why does the bread have a really thick crust?

I have a Regal Kitchen Pro Bread Maker - model K6746S (made in 1998).

I recently pulled this out of the basement and started using it again. I made one loaf on the Rapid cycle which came out just fine. However, sometimes the bread comes out with a really thick crust - which has only happened on the longer cycles (Cycle 7 - 4 hours). Note: the bread rose OK, but has a thick crust. Also, I did not take it out as soon as it was finished - could this be part of the problem?

I'm not sure why or how to prevent this. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks!!

Cathy

Cathy
December 2006