Ah yes, it was always a bit touch and go. It's much easier now, you have to work quite hard to mess it up. I don't bother with putting the yeast in water first ... I just mix all the dry ingredients together (flour, salt, dried yeast, sugar - don't leave the yeast sitting on the salt, mix straightaway), rub in the butter, add tepid water and mix (actually, I use oil rather than butter and add to the warm water). Leave for ten minutes once well mixed, then go into the routine above. It seems to work that the more relaxed about it you are, the better the bread turns out.