Troubleshooting
Six failures we have produced repeatedly, with the honest answer about whether the current loaf can be saved. Usually it cannot — but the next one can.
Extend the bulk rise until the dough has risen about half again and wobbles. Preheat the pot for a full 45 minutes — most home ovens lie about temperature.
Nothing rescues this loaf, but the next one is easy to fix: stop the bulk rise earlier, and if the kitchen is warm, shorten it by an hour or more.
Shape more firmly. The surface should feel taut, like a drum skin, before it goes into the banneton.
Keep the lid on for the full first twenty minutes. If the crust still sets too hard, drop the temperature by 10°C for the uncovered phase.
Sourdough continues cooking as it cools. Leave it at least two hours — four is better. This is the single most common mistake and the hardest to obey.
Feed twice daily for two days at room temperature. A grey liquid on top is alcohol, which is normal — pour it off and feed.
If several loaves in a row go wrong at once, the variable is almost always temperature. Kitchens shift by several degrees between seasons, and a schedule that worked in October will over-proof by June.