A dense loaf is a symptom with several possible causes. Check a known recipe, ingredient measurement and program selection before changing the machine.
1. Establish a baseline
Was the recipe written for your capacity and bread type? A whole-grain or gluten-free loaf should not be judged against the crumb of a white wheat loaf. If you changed flours, reduced ingredients or used a different course, return to an unmodified compatible recipe first.
2. Check flour and liquid
Use the recipe's weights. Overfilled cups can add more flour than intended. Do not add a large, guessed amount of liquid to a failed formula and call the problem solved. Observe the next batch only as the manual permits, and use the recipe's own guidance for adjustments.
3. Check the leavening
Confirm the yeast type, amount, storage and date. More yeast is not a universal cure: it can create a different failure. For naturally leavened bread, starter condition and fermentation time introduce another set of variables. See the sourdough workflow guide.
4. Check the chosen course
A rapid course is not an automatic substitute for a standard course. A gluten-free mixture should use a suitable formula and process. Confirm that the selected size is supported by that course, not only by the product's general capacity label.
Test a single correction
Record the loaf after cooling, then change one plausible cause for the next bake. If an unmodified official recipe repeatedly fails with correctly measured, fresh ingredients, the manufacturer can help with model-specific diagnosis. Bring the record rather than only a description of “bad bread.”