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Having trouble with your bread? Here's Some help. The dough does not rise: Old yeast Water was too cool to activate the yeast or so hot that it killed the yeast The dough is too stiff Rising place is too cool The bread falls in the oven: Dough rose too much and got too light. The bread does not brown on the sides: Pans are too bright and reflect heat away from the sides Poor pan placement in the oven and therefore overcrowding The bread has an excessive break on the side: Oven is too hot Insufficient rising period Improper shaping The tops of the bread loaves are cracked: Bread cooled too rapidly, probably in a draft The dough is too stiff The dough is not mixed well Baked loaf crumbles easily: Dough is not mixed well Too much flour added Rising place is too warm Rising period too long Oven temperature is too low The bread is doughy on the bottom: Loaves were not removed from pans and allowed to cool on racks after baking The crust is too thick Too much flour Insufficient rising period Oven temperature is too low The bread is heavy and dense: Too much flour added Insufficient rising period Certain flours (whole wheat, rye, and others) create a heavier loaf than all-purpose unbleached flour. The bread is wet inside and has a coarse grain: Insufficient rising period The bread is dry and has a coarse grain: Too much flour added Dough not kneaded long enough Rising period too long Oven temperature too low The bread contains dark streaks: Uneven mixing or kneading Bowl was greased too heavily Dough was not covered during rising period The bread has holes in it: Air not completely pressed out of dough when loaves were shaped Dough was not covered during rising period The bread smells and tastes of yeast: Rising periods too long Rising place is too warm The bread has a sour taste: Rising place is too warm and therefore the dough rose too quickly Dough rose too long before being baked Back to the Food Page