1) Is your bread too dry? add extra water, about 10cc more than recommended to start with. Adjust after a vote. (If it is unbaked, too much was added; if it doesn't make you want to tear a piece off and lay it across your tongue, try adding more.)
2) Add extra yeast when the weather is colder or you add exotic low-gluten ingredients (such as soy flour, whole wheat flour, oats, anything). (You may also use high-gluten bread flour to offset the difficulty in using whole wheat flour, though I know I'm not swimming with the tide on this one. In Taiwan, we actually each pickled gluten with peanuts. Try it, if you are allergy-free on this one.)
3) Is your bread texture or taste too boring, too bland? Or do you want to sweeten it up? Add one or more of the following ingredients, or mix and match (heck, add them all, to taste: go for it--it won't be the end of the world--you might be pleasantly surprised!):
Bland-busting options:
- finely shredded coconut (not too coarse, not coconut flour)
- really makes it more filling (stick to your ribs) as well as offer a second texture
- cinnamon (at least a tablespoon and you won't regret it)
- nutmeg (be more cautious with this one)
- I destroyed a pie once by adding the recipe's standard dosage. It all boils down to respecting freshly ground nutmeg, whether slivered off the nut or spooned out of a tin.
- chopped or slivered almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
- dried fruit/raisins: grape or cranberry raisins; chopped figs
The sweetening subset:
- vanilla
- cocoa powder (to taste: two tablespoons to a quarter cup)
- extra butter (double or triple your bread machine's recommended amount)
- If you go too far with the butter, hold back on adding extra water will help keep the dough from becoming dense and uncooperative with the yeast.
- extra sugar (cane sugar recommended) (double, triple, or quadruple bread machine's recommended amount)
5) Don't forget salt! I'm not a fan myself, but you need it for bread to stay tasty, and the yeast needs it (for whatever yeast do with it when they aren't gorging on the sugar).
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Disclaimer: Though I've used the above techniques dozens of times, I don't know your bread machine, so I can only offer a few ideas about what makes for great bread for me and my family. What works for me might tank in your machine for all I know. Use your own judgement as I take no responsibility for mishaps or damaged teflon.
