Bread issues

I was so happy to get me a bread machine! Fresh bread all the time. And when the old one got very old (I bought it second hand) I managed, after some trial and error, to buy another one that makes equally good bread. And it had better; it was top of the range. I was quite happy for several years. 

Then my bread became flatter. It’s supposed to be bread height! But the loaves came out only about half that. I wondered if the problem was my flour. I replaced it. I wondered if the problem was the yeast. I replaced it. I extended rising time. I didn’t know if the bread maybe rose too much, and then collapsed, rather than never rose much in the first place, so I reduced the amount of yeast. 

Not high enough

Nothing helped. I have not at all exhausted all possibilities! I can customise everything with this machine. But why was it producing disappointing bread when, given the same ingredients and the same settings, it had produced lovely bread before? 

I want to keep trying for a bit. Must be worth it. But I’m miffed! And maybe I’ll bring my old machine out of retirement for the occasional loaf. Or buy something in the shops. I like good bread! And I should be able to make it in my own machine! But if I at least temporarily can’t, then I’ll try to get it some other way…