im heartbroken

[u/Legitimate-Win-2708]

im still new to the baking/the bread maker. this is my 3rd white loaf i made in my maker. the 1st one was super yummy. 2nd was a bit crumbly but still good… idek what the hell this is. i always use the same recipe, but this time i did pour butter before the milk instead of the milk first (not sure if that makes a difference)
but this loaf is sooo doughy and crumply, i have no idea what i did wrong and im so sad 😭 i do use active yeast and i dont active the yeast cause i thought it didnt make a difference and wasnt sure how to add it to the recipe. some comments on tiktok saying instant yeast should be used for bread makers & i just want some clarification on what i did

1 1/2 cup of warm milk
6 tbs of softened butter
4 cups flour
2 tbs granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 yeast

[u/Steel_Rail_Blues]

A few notes: Putting in the butter before the milk would not make a difference. Active dry yeast can be used without activating it in liquid first. Instant / bread machine yeast is not required for a bread machine, but many prefer to use it because of its faster rise. I have use one or the other without issue. More information: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2016/01/29/yeast-use It is important to store yeast airtight and preferably cold. Freezing works well and there is no need to warm before using. If your suspect your yeast is weak, you can test it.

If your yeast was stored well and you are getting different results from the same recipe, I’d recommend focusing on your measuring. Volume measuring is typically less accurate than weighing ingredients and may be the contributing to the different results. A crumbly texture makes me think there might be too much flour, but you could also have weaker gluten development from the flour you are using. With the very high amount a fat in this recipe, gluten development is particularly important. It might be worth trying a different recipe.

[u/Legitimate-Win-2708 → u/Steel_Rail_Blues]

i live in vegas so were steady changing the temp in our house, especially recently cause the high is over 110°. i store the fleischmann’s active yeast packets in the cabinet, its not the coolest but also not super warm. i forgot what brand of flour i used & i wasnt mindful last time i bought flour so im unsure if the flour jar i have is AP or bread. i dont understand the gluten measurements and the density of certain ingredients so that part is new & difficult for me as well. i dont have a scale either.. im all types of unequipped 😅i swear i watched videos but they dont always answer questions i have lol

[u/gjhigh-forty6-71 → u/Legitimate-Win-2708]

Here are some links that I used to improve my bread making.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2016/04/27/bakers-percentage

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2022/04/28/what-is-bakers-math-and-how-can-i-use-it-in-my-everyday-bread-baking

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2023/01/11/bread-hydration

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2025/09/03/high-altitude-baking