Rewrite in progress. Thank you for your patience.

Goldilocks Notes: This tiplet applies to ALL home bread machines.

– If your dough is too wet, it will often result in a “collapsed” (concave) Top Often with spots of raw or wet dough.
Short Explanation: too much liquid creates larger weak steam pockets during the baking process. When as the bread cools and the steam evaporated, the top is no longer supported and so collapses.
The other issue with over hydration is spots or gobs raw uncooked dough throughout. Sometimes simple longer bake times can solve the problem.

– If your dough is too dry, it will often result in failure to rise, crumbly messes, and in a best case scenario, something that may be possible to use for croutons, or bread crumbs. Worst case scenario: brick suitable for door stops.

– In the third image, “Just Right – Almost
” The hydration looks good, but the sides have not been “scraped” down or back into the dough. This may/often result in “white flour” spots on your bread. Not the end of the world, but easily avoided.

-Yes, sometimes you do have to open the top. The trick to opening is to (a) open as early in the process as possible, and since the touch touch test is best done just after the first (rather brief) Mix & Rest – easily solved.
-The second trick is to CLOSE the lid if your are doing something that takes longer, like removing a paddle, or adding a flavoring swirl. The lid should only be open long enough to remove or replace the pan.
-When the paddle is removed, to compensate for the possible loss of heat, I do leave it in the machine on the warm cycle longer than usual.

Your choice, Too Wet-Collapses, Too Dry-Doorstops, or Cut Me A Slice, causes it’s “just right”