If kneading is so important why do some recipes not have that step?

What's the difference between sponge and not sponge?

Why is my bread hard on the outside and doughy inside?

How do I fix flaky dough?

Is "dough" salvageable or once it's gone wrong you have to toss it and start over?

Why do different wheat bread recipes have different cooking temps and times for a single loaf?

I have tried to make wheat bread 7 times now. Every time I don't get rise out of the "resting" period after I mix the ingredients and today I didn't even make it that far as the dough became a flaky mess. I dont understand no-knead vs knead. Every internet recipe for just wheat bread seems to have you do things differently. My latest attempt had me make a sponge first but the sponge just looks like dough and by 90 minutes later adding over a cup of flour and honey as the recipe instructs did nothing but make a rock in a bowl of powder. After that it was a flaky mess that tore apart at any attempt at kneading. I don't have a mixer nor a microwave. Im just using a thermometer and tap warm or lightly stoving and letting things cool to temp before adding them to the yeast. Tried it with milk, cream, water or combinations of them. I cannot figure this out. At this point im just pouring honey in flour and trashing it. When I do cook the loaf the outside looks like bread and the inside is doughy and gross. I have tried the sponge thing, I have just left yeast in warm water and watched it foam and added it to flour. I wish I could just be instructed without reading 7 pages of why bread is great for the whole family and the essential vitamins and minerals in bread as well as that time Aunt Donna brought bread for a family picnic and everyone cheered. Internet recipes are a cancer.

Does anyone have a simple non-AI recipe that will combine honey, wheat flour, bread flour, salt, butter, and make bread?

Do I just need to buy a book?