Why can't I make bread?

[Greg Who Cooks]

Kneading dough does more than just "mix it up". The kneading process helps the gluten form into chains. This helps with the structure of the bread itself. Too much kneading can break these chains which is why the bread will fall flat when baked and turn into a brick.

Yeah that's what I meant, although not so eloquently. I meant you just have to mix it right, then maybe rest it a bit (to let it rise) and then mix it just right again for a while.

If you haven't made bread all of this is confusing. If you have made bread you don't even need to see it in words.

But learning to bake bread is well worth the effort, if only you (like me) bake specialty breads, and just buy your ordinary breads at the market. My specialty is focaccia. I just love all the varieties and variations I come up with.

I aspire to make nice French loaves, thus violating my comment about not baking ordinary breads.

I'm a senior citizen. I've abandoned the concepts that I need to be consistent in my logic, or that I have to make up my mind and then stick with it.