I have just begun baking bread and I keep having the same problem - dense loaves! I use the amounts called for, knead for the correct amount of time, let them rise longer than the recipe says, and I still can't get them to rise as much as they should! My loaves always turn out great tasting, but small and dense. I am thinking my problem may be that I am either kneading incorrectly or not long enough (I am doing it by hand because I don't have a mixer), or my dough is too dry. Do most recipes call for more flour than is generally needed? And how sticky should the dough generally be to get a good amount of rise? Thanks for all the help!