Mary, it sounds like you're baking your bread towards the end of the week, when most of the starches in the dough have been consumed. This will cause the outside of the loaf to remain pale in color, no matter how long you bake it, and may also be affecting the internal structure of your loaves. Typically a hard crust would be due to longer baking time. Storing your loaves in a plastic bag can help to soften the crust. Try reducing the initial rising time outside the refrigerator to one hour or less; this should extend the amount of time it will last in the refrigerator. And baking your bread earlier in the week should give you a browner crust and a better structure. For more help with this recipe, please give our Baker's Hotline a call at 855-371-2253(BAKE). Barb@KAF

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