The yeast was evidently not happy. I should have known this because I had seen no bubbles 15 minutes after adding it to the milk. Should have been a clue. I should have noticed. Yeast does not like to be too hot - the water was to be lukewarm.
Yeast likes to be fed sugar and flour before drowning it in other liquid.
I do know this. A cook should always trust the feel of the dough. Shortcuts are not a good thing to take when baking bread. Shouldn't cook while on Xanax. Should not operate heavy machinery.