Think of gluten as the elastic scaffolding of your bread. It traps the gas bubbles from the yeast, making the loaf light and airy. If that scaffolding is weak, the bubbles escape, and you’re left with a compact, heavy loaf. It’s like building a house with spaghetti instead of steel beams—not great for keeping air inside.
Your bread machine is supposed to knead that gluten into shape. But if your dough is too dry or too wet, or if the yeast is tired, the gluten never gets a chance to stretch. Ever try to blow up a balloon with a hole in it? That’s your bread machine’s struggle.
