This gluten mesh is what helps to trap the gasses in the dough. The action of kneading dough is what helps to create a gluten mesh. Let’s break these down a bit further in order to understand the causes and get et the wanted results of an even spread of wholes in your crumb ( crumb is the term for the texture and spread of wholes in your bread ) 1.

Not enough tension in your dough when shaping.

Using too much yeast or leavening agents.

The oven is not hot enough when you first put the bread inside.Not scoring or slashing the bread or not deep enough slashes.Not giving enough time to the first rise ( the bulk fermentation) or Underproofing.Not kneading the dough long enough which results in a weak gluten mesh.Here below are various reason of why this uneven spread can happen. When you have an uneven spread of these gasses it is the cause of the big unwanted holes. These wholes come from the gasses released by the yeast that feeds on the starches and sugars in the dough that result in them releasing carbon dioxide which in turn helps your dough rise. Or you have a big hole at the top of your crumb that runs through the whole bread, also known as “tunneling”. The problem begins when it comes to an unwanted result in plain yeast loaf when the holes are so big that half your slice is just one big whole. Bread holes can be a great thing, especially when it comes to ciabatta where we strive for the long-awaited result of large wholes in your crumb.

My no knead bread is flat