Hi Carolyn! Both yeast and sourdough breads can be baked in a lidded vessel to trap the steam and produce a crispier crust. The lid should be removed about 40-60% of the way through the baking time in order to achieve this and never left on during the entire bake. When yeasted breads collapse it is often because they were either over-steamed by the lid being left on for too long, or the dough over proofed by being rested at too warm a temperature for too long.

One of the best ways to tell if your dough is proofed is the poke test. Press one finger gently into the dough, about 1/4" deep. If the dough reacts slowly, leaving a small indent where your finger was, it's ready. If it bounces back right away then it needs more time. If it leaves a big hole, or if the dough begins to collapse, it's risen too much. Our blog shows some great photos of what this can look like, including loaves that have gone a bit too far. 

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2014/06/20/the-bread-also-rises/

Happy baking!

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