Why does my white sandwich bread always come out flat?
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/classic-sandwich-bread-recipe
https://youtu.be/wx5I5O_RoeI?si=o-PjcvvKMEyC_1oo
I followed this recipe and this shaping tutorial when rolling the log and it always comes out half the height of normal sandwich bread, about the same height as the loaf pan. I let it proof for a little over and hour until it was an around an inch above the rim, and when I poked it it sunk but slightly rose slowly, so I put it in the oven after brushing it with milk for browning. It’s almost like it sunk after I baked it. I did cover it with aluminum foil at one point and might’ve been too rough and maybe that’s what flattened it?
The recipe, as printed, is for an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 pan, so unless you increased the amount of dough, the pan is too large.
The "poke" test is subjective. Either way - it should appear that it has doubled before moving on. Any handling while it's proofing - the last rise - won't help any. So - make your normal loaf and see what happens. Enjoy!