Just Started Baking and It's Going Terribly...

So I started baking about two weeks ago. My friend kept telling me that bread is really simple to make, so I decided to give it a shot. She said, "All you need is flour, yeast, salt, and water." Yeah, no problem. But then she added, "Oh, and kneading the dough can take like an hour..." Well, that's not too bad, right? Right. So I got everything set up, mixed it all together, let it rise for what seemed like forever (because yeast is a tricky thing). Then, here comes the kneading part. I thought, okay, this isn't so bad. But an hour turned into two hours... and I think my arms are going to fall off! It was at that point when I realized bread-making might not be as easy as it sounds. After what felt like a lifetime of kneading (and watching way too much Netflix), the dough finally looked decent. Into the oven it went, fingers crossed. But after about 15 minutes in there, the smell turned from delicious to burnt... Oh man, I was so sad! My kitchen is now full of this weird smoke that reminds me of what a failed science experiment might smell like. But you know what? I'm still laughing at myself for trying to take on bread king. So here's my question: Have any of you ever attempted baking only to have it go terribly wrong? Share your stories, because maybe together we can turn this from disaster into a learning experience!