Lou taught me the same thing about drawer slides, guy still uses wooden runners and wax. Made me realize I was slapping under mount slides on everything without thinking.

Took me a year and a half to figure out the same thing in my Edmonton place. The trick was switching to mesh tape instead of paper for the first pass, then doing a second layer with paper tape over top. Had to make sure the compound was mixed way thinner than I thought it should be, almost like really thick paint. Also found out the hard way that you need to let each coat dry a full 24 hours in a basement, no shortcuts with a space heater. That combination finally stopped the cracks from coming back through the paint.

Has anyone considered that the crust difference might come down to how much water the yeast absorbs before baking? Active dry yeast needs that warm water to wake up, but instant yeast steals moisture from the dough itself, which could explain why your instant loaf had a softer crumb. I've read that even a small change in hydration like that can affect crust color and texture more than people realize.

Honestly @joel_mason22, that's a stretch. Just because something costs more doesn't mean you have to go broke for it. Tbh, most people I know just saved up or skipped other stuff to make it work.

Hearing that reminded me of when my uncle got the same advice from his old football coach and it totally flipped how he saw things. Funny how that works, @murray.cole.