IF THE bread goes stale quickly and has a crumbly texture the most common cause is leaving the bread to rise for too long.
This is easily done if you are unable to control the temperature of the environment where the bread is rising. It is also tempting to let the dough rise that little extra bit in an effort to make lighter bread.
The problem, however, is the dough becomes over stretched and falls to pieces. Allowing the dough to approximately double in size is the correct amount of rising. Adding too much yeast can also cause this problem.
The surface of the bread is heavily cracked:
THE dough was probably allowed to dry out while it was rising. Rising dough should be covered with a tea towel or oiled plastic wrap to stop the surface drying. Even if the surface doesn't crack it is generally not very pleasant if it has been allowed to dry. A dampened tea towel is a good alternative to plastic wrap.
The texture of the bread is uneven or has large holes:
THE most likely cause of this problem is insufficient kneading, meaning the ingredients weren't well mixed. It is recommended you gently knead the dough for 10 minutes.
If you fancy a bit of a workout you can successfully knead dough in 5 minutes. A machine is a great help if you prefer to avoid a heavy workout. Leaving the dough uncovered while it is rising can also cause this problem.
