BAKING BASICS -YEAST BREAD FAULTS AND THEIR CAUSES

You made your bread but it doesn't look or taste like what you have expected ... what went wrong?  Here is a list of possibilities that you can use to evaluate what you would need to do differently the next time.  

SHAPE

POOR VOLUME:  too much salt, too little yeast, too little liquid, weak flour (low protein), under- or overmixing, oven too hot.
TOO MUCH VOLUME:  too little salt, too much yeast, overproofed.
POOR SHAPE:  too much liquid, flour too weak (low protein), improper molding, improper fermentation or proofing, too much oven steam.
SPLIT OR BURST CRUST:  overmixing, underferemented dough, improper molding - seam not on bottom, uneven heat in oven, oven too hot, insufficient steam.

TEXTURE AND CRUMB

TOO DENSE OR CLOSE-GRAINED:  too much salt, too little liquid, too little yeast, under fermented, under proofed.
TOO COARSE OPEN: too much yeast, too much liquid, incorrect mixing time, improper fermentation, overproofed, pan too large.
STREAKED CRUMB:  improper mixing procedure, poor molding, too much flour used for dusting.
POOR TEXTURE OR CRUMBLY: flour too weak, too little salt, fermentation time too long or too short, overproofed, baking temperature too low.
GRAY CRUMB: fermentation time or temperature too high.

CRUST

TOO DARK: too much sugar or milk, underferemented, oven temperature too high, baking time too long, insufficient steam at beginning of baking.
TOO PALE: too little sugar or milk, overfermented, overproofed, oven temperature too low, baking time too short, too much steam in oven.
TOO THICK: too little sugar or fat, improper fermentation, baked too long and/or at wrong temperature, too little steam.
BLISTERS ON CRUST: too much liquid, improper fermentation, improper shaping of loaf.

FLAVOR

FLAT TASTE: too little salt
POOR FLAVOR: inferior, spoiled, or rancid ingredients, under- or overfermented.

From Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen.