Losing my mind--help me troubleshoot
 

Okay, from the beginning:

1st loaf with bread machine worked lovely.

Next two loaves never formed balls. They looked really wet.

Today:
Followed bread machine recipe on Pamela's Bread Mix package exactly:
fill a 2c measuring cup with 1/4 c. oil, 2 eggs, then fill up to 2 c. mark with warm water. Pour into bread machine bucket, add 3.5 c. flour and 2.25 tsp. yeast. Set on basic white bread dough recipe.

It started doing the same thing: not forming a ball, but looking really wet. I added 1 TBSP. flour. It looked a little better. Added another. Looked a little better. Added a third. This time it nearly made a ball, but the dough was still "attached" to the bucket at the bottom. So I added a fourth--and suddenly it lost its almost-ball form, spread out to touch the bucket on all sides again, and wouldn't integrate all the flour I'd just added.

So I decided to experiment. I opened it up and tried mixing it in myself, there seemed to be a big air pocket at the bottom; suddenly it all collapsed down. Then I thought, "maybe the mixer blade wasn't able to "grab" all the dough because the air bubble at the end was pushing the dough away. Closed it up, turned it back on--it didn't ball up at all, just stayed a big, spread-out blob.

Then I decided to try kneading it myself. Floured up a cutting board, "poured" out the dough--and it was INSANELY sticky. And not just because I forgot to oil my hands. :doh I had AJ add about two more TBSP for me to try kneading in, but it wouldn't work, it was way too sticky to even knead. We tried about 2 TBSP--and now it was starting to feel sticky AND rubbery. So I finally just dumped it all into the loaf pan to rise.

WHAT is going on!? Why was is so sticky? Why did it *almost* make a ball, and then collapse out of the ball shape just because of more flour? Why did it work the first time I used the machine, but not again since? Today I actually let everything get to room temp before starting; I've never done that before but I thought maybe it would make a difference.

I have no idea what to expect from this loaf. Do you think it will be edible?

Re: Losing my mind--help me troubleshoot
 

Bump?

Re: Losing my mind--help me troubleshoot
 

:think What has the humidity been like? How did the finished product turn out the time that you added extra flour?

Re: Losing my mind--help me troubleshoot
 

I always use the bread machine, and my liquid to dry ratio is 1.5 cups water, 3 eggs and 1/4 cup oil to 3.25 cups flour, plus yeast, salt & 1 T xanthan.

Have you tried a "from scratch" recipe?