Diane, kudos to you as a new bread baker for tackling this project! It sounds to me like you maybe using a bit too much flour, given what you say about the bread’s texture, lack of rise, and cracking as you prepared the dough. If you don’t measure by weight, be sure to fluff the flour in the bag or canister first, then sprinkle it gently into a dry measuring cup (measuring cup designed for dry ingredients – i.e., no lip on the edge), and level it off. You can also raise the water temperature, but that’s a short-term fix; a softer, more supple dough would be better. Good luck next time! PJH@KAF

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