Problem

Possible Causes

Solutions / Suggestions

Dough is not rising

• Yeast is old.

• Yeast was dissolved in too-hot or too-cold water.

• Dough was kneaded too stiff; gluten was overdeveloped

• Rising location was too cold.

Try proofing new yeast and kneading it into the dough; additional flour might be necessary

Dough is bloated and blistering

• Dough has over-risen.

• Rising place is too warm.

Punch down, reshape, and let rise again.

Bread rises and bakes unevenly

• Dough was shaped unevenly.

• Dough was not scored or scored unevenly.

• Oven heats unevenly.

Try rotating the loaf; there is little more you can do at this point.

Bread browns unevenly on top

• Loaf is or was too close to the oven top.

• Oven heats unevenly.

Rotate loaf if browning unevenly. Lower the rack on which the bread sits if browning too quickly.

Bread is too brown at bottom

• Baking stone or oven is too hot.

Place a rack or wire cake stand between loaf and stone; check that oven is calibrated correctly.

Bread is too brown all over

• Oven is too hot.

Lower heat; check that oven is calibrated correctly.

Bread interior has gaping holes

• Too much yeast was used in dough.

• Too little flour was used.

• Too little kneading.

• Dough over-rose.

• Oven was too cool.

Use the bread for toast; the uneven texture is desirable in certain breads such as sourdough and French bread.

Bread didn't rise high enough

• Water was too hot for yeast.

• Too little flour was used.

• Too little kneading.

• Dough was under-risen.

• Pan was too large.

Slice thin and serve small pieces.

Bread is heavy and dense

• Too much flour was used.

• Too little kneading.

• Dough was under-risen.

Slice thin and serve small pieces.

Bread has a yeasty taste

• Dough over-rose.

• Temperature was too high during rise.

Let the bread dry 1 day and use to make bread crumbs.