Homemade Bread

I tried to make homemade white bread today for the very first time in my life. Tried being the operative word.

It turned out a little flat and the crust was way past golden brown. When my six-year-old tried a slice he said, “It’s good, but I don’t like the crust,” meaning “mom, the crust is too hard to eat, unless you want me to try to bite through it and lose another tooth."
At least the house smelled good for a while.
I think my problem was the yeast was old, and, I didn’t knead it long enough.
I am going to try again!   I. Will. Suceed.
I got the recipe from the Weight Watchers Cookbook, so I figure it’s a guilt-free eat.
Classic White Bread

1/2 cup lukewarm (105-115 degrees F) fat-free milk
1/4 cup lukewarm (105-115 degrees F) water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fat-free milk
1. In a small bowl, combine the lukewarm milk, water, and sugar; sprinkle with the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a food processor, combine the flour and salt. With the machine running, add the yeast mixture. Knead until dough forms a ball and continue until it is smooth and no longer sticky.
3. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume, 40-50 minutes.
4. Punch down the dough; lightly sprinkle a work surface with flour. Turn out the dough; pat into an 8 x 12-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds lengthwise, pinching the seams to seal, and form into an 8-inch loaf. Spray and 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Place the dough in the pan, seam-side down; cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, 35-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
5. Brush the bread with the teaspoon of milk. Bake on the center oven rack about 20 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until the bread is golden brown, 25-30 minutes longer. Remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a rack.
TIP: To mix by hand:
In a large bowl, combine the 1/2 cup milk, the water, and yeast; set aside until foamy. Stir in the all-purpose flour and salt until the dough starts to gather around the spoon. Turn out the dough on a lightly floured elastic, about 10 minutes.