You must open the lid of the bread machine after it mixes and check the dough. Some flour has more moisture in it. The dough should form a nice smooth ball (like a babies bottom). If it is sticky and does not form a ball you need to add more flour-1 T. at a time. I have taken bread machine classes and this is what we were taught. Our instructor uses 3 teaspoons of yeast in all of her bread loaf recipes and says she never has a failure.

I do prefer to mix the dough in the machine and bake it in the oven. The bread seems to last longer. The crust seems to be too dry for me in the bread machine.

I form all french bread into a long loaf on a cookie sheet sprimkled with cornmeal. I bake it at 375 degrees until golden.

Hope this helps.