Bread Sinking - 7 Causes and How to Fix It

You know the feeling. The bread maker beeps, you open the lid full of anticipation, and there it is: a loaf that looks like it gave up halfway. Sunken in the middle, with a dent in the top, or completely flat. Frustrating, especially when you followed the recipe exactly. Or so you thought.

The good news? A sunken loaf can almost always be explained. And once you know what causes it, it can be fixed too. Over the past years we have read thousands of messages from home bakers, and the same seven causes keep coming back.

In this article we take a close look at each cause, explain why it happens, and give you a concrete solution. At the bottom you will find a quick-fix checklist you can keep for next time.

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Cause 1: Too much water

What happens: The dough rises beautifully during the rising phase, but does not have enough structure to hold itself up. As soon as baking begins, it collapses under its own weight. Why: Water makes the dough softer and stickier. A little extra moisture seems harmless, but even 20-30 grams too much can be the difference between a sturdy loaf and a sunken one. Solution:

• Always weigh your water, do not use a measuring cup (it is less accurate)
• Start with the amount in the recipe and only adjust if the dough is really too dry after 10 minutes of kneading
• Add water in steps of 10 ml, no more

Check your dough

After 10 minutes of kneading: take a quick look to see whether your dough has the right consistency.

• Too wet? Add flour, 10 grams at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the wall
• Perfect? The dough forms a smooth, supple ball, firm but elastic
• Too dry? Add water, 10 ml at a time, until the dough is supple and smooth

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Cause 2: Too much yeast

What happens: The dough rises too fast and too high. The gluten network can no longer hold the gas bubbles, and the bread collapses, often before baking even begins. Why: Yeast produces carbon dioxide, which makes the dough rise. But the gluten network has a limit. More yeast does not mean more rise, it means the dough goes past its limit faster. Solution:

• Stick to the exact amount of yeast in the recipe
• Use a kitchen scale, a "level teaspoon" is not accurate enough
• In warm weather (above 25°C in your kitchen): use 1 gram less yeast than the recipe indicates

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Cause 3: Too little salt

What happens: The bread rises too fast (similar to too much yeast) and then sinks. On top of that it tastes bland. Why: Salt slows down yeast activity. Without enough salt, the yeast works uncontrollably and the dough rises too fast. Salt also strengthens the gluten network, it literally holds the structure together. Solution:

• Never skip the salt, even if you want to eat low-salt (in that case use at most 1-2 grams less, not half)
• Weigh the salt, 6-8 grams is standard for a 750-gram loaf
• Sprinkle the salt over the flour, not on top of the yeast

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Cause 4: Lid opened during rising or baking

What happens: The bread rises nicely, you open the lid to take a look, and the bread visibly sinks. Yes, we know. You want to look. But it is just like with the oven: whoever peeks, loses. Why: The heat in the machine keeps the dough at the right temperature for rising. When you open the lid, a wave of warm air escapes. The sudden temperature drop can make the dough sink, especially during the final rising phase or the start of baking. Solution:

• During kneading (first 10-15 minutes): opening briefly is fine, to check the dough consistency
• During rising: do not open
• During baking: absolutely do not open
• If you must, write on the lid with a marker: "DO NOT OPEN AFTER KNEADING"

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Cause 5: Wrong program chosen

What happens: The bread has not risen well, is too compact, or has risen too high and sunk. Why: Each type of bread needs a different rising and baking time. Wholegrain needs longer than white bread. Sweet bread has a different temperature profile. If you choose the wrong program, the dough does not get the treatment it needs. Solution: Always choose the program that matches your type of flour:

Type of flour and matching program

The program numbers above apply to the Fornello Supremo and Essenza. Other brands have different numbers, always check your machine's manual.

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Cause 6: Bread not taken out of the pan right away

What happens: The bread was perfect when it was done, but when you took it out it was sunken and moist on the bottom. Why: After baking, the hot bread still produces steam. If the bread stays in the closed baking pan, that steam condenses against the walls and soaks back into the bread. That makes the bottom gummy and can cause the top to sink. Solution:

• Take the bread immediately out of the pan as soon as the program is done
• Tip the pan over gently, the bread usually slides right out
• Put the bread on a rack so air can reach it all around
• Wait at least 30 minutes before cutting

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Cause 7: Old flour or inactive yeast

What happens: The bread barely rises, or starts to rise and then sinks. The texture is compact and heavy. Why: Yeast is a living organism. Old or poorly stored yeast has less rising power. Old flour (especially wholegrain) can have gone rancid, which hampers yeast activity. On top of that, old flour loses gluten strength. Solution:

• Test your yeast: Put 5 grams of yeast in a cup of lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar. After 10 minutes it should foam. Does that not happen? Then your yeast is inactive, throw it away
• Check your flour: Smell it. Wholegrain flour that smells rancid is past its date. Store flour cool and dry
• Shelf life: Dry yeast keeps for 1-2 years unopened, but only 3-4 months after opening. Wholegrain flour: 2-3 months. White flour: 6-12 months

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Quick-fix checklist

Print this out or keep it on your phone. Run through this list for every baking session:

• [ ] Water weighed (not estimated with a measuring cup)?
• [ ] Yeast weighed (not estimated with a teaspoon)?
• [ ] Salt added and spread over the flour?
• [ ] Yeast dry in a well in the flour, not in contact with water or salt?
• [ ] Right program chosen for your type of flour?
• [ ] Lid closed after checking the dough?
• [ ] Bread taken out of the pan right away after baking?
• [ ] Yeast and flour fresh and stored correctly?

If you can tick all these points and your bread still sinks, it is probably down to your specific brand of flour or the ambient temperature. Try a different brand of flour, or adjust the amount of yeast (1 gram less in warm weather, 1 gram more in cold weather).

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When sinking is normal

Let us be honest: a very small amount of sinking can be normal. The bread rises to its maximum in the machine and always drops back a fraction when baking begins. A sink of 1-2 centimeters is nothing to worry about.

Where you should be concerned:

• A deep dent or crater in the middle
• The bread has sunk more than 3 centimeters from its highest point
• The top has collapsed and the sides have folded outward
• The bread is gummy and not cooked through inside

In those cases something structural is wrong, run through the seven causes above and you will almost certainly find the culprit.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I still eat sunken bread?

Yes, as long as it is cooked through inside (not gummy or wet). It tastes fine, it just does not look the way you had hoped. Call it "rustic" and cut into it with conviction. Use it for toast, grilled sandwiches or breadcrumbs.

My bread always sinks with the same recipe. What do I do?

Start by reducing the water (10-20 grams less). If that does not help, reduce the yeast by 1 gram. These two adjustments solve 80% of cases.

Does the brand of bread maker matter?

Not as much as you think. The causes are universal, too much water, too much yeast, wrong program. The exact program times can differ per brand though, so always check your manual.

Is it better to use the timer or start right away?

With the timer, the dough sits at room temperature longer before baking begins. In summer (warm weather) that can lead to over-rising. Use the timer mainly in the cooler months, or reduce the yeast by 1 gram if you use the timer in summer.

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Read also

• Baking wholegrain bread: the perfect recipe - Step by step to a wholegrain loaf
• Baking spelt bread: healthy and full of flavor - Everything about baking with spelt
• Baking multigrain bread: full of seeds and flavor

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Do you have questions, or have you discovered what the cause was with your bread? We would love to hear it.

Or email support@fornello.eu - we respond within 24 hours.

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Ready to get started? Take a look at the Fornello bread makers.