THE DOUGH STICKS TO MY HANDS WHILE KNEADING
The stickiness of a dough is down to the amount of water that’s been added. It’s completely normal for an unkneaded dough to be sticky to start with. Some will be wetter than others, too – for example, focaccia dough is wet and loose, which is what makes it more elastic and creates those big air bubbles. As it’s baked in a tin, the looseness of the dough doesn’t matter. With the amount of water in a standard loaf, typically speaking, the more you knead, the less sticky it will become (usually after 5-6 mins, it will become less sticky). You will get to a point where the dough is no longer sticky and the kneading motion will clear your hands of dough. If you feel it’s taking too long, try dusting with a little more flour.
MY DOUGH ISN’T PROVING
The most likely cause of this is the yeast, so check the best before date. Instant yeast is usually more reliable than fresh, and dried yeast is different to fast-action as it needs to be activated. Make sure the water is lukewarm, not hot – if the water is too hot, it can kill the yeast.