Loaf 4

OK. Tried a 20 hour rise (and didn't mess up the water measurement).

Did the same procedure, but lightly floured the board rather than heavy flour so as not to get uncooked flour in the bread this time. I did away with the upper piece of parchment paper and just covered the proofing bowl with a towel.

After 2 hours I lifted the parchment paper out of the bowl like a sling (I read that this technique came from Cooks Illustrated), and lowered the paper and the dough into the pot.

After 30 minutes I removed the pot's cover, and set the oven timer for 30 minutes more.

However, I must have accidentally lowered the heat to 435, from 450. I realized it after about 25 minutes and raised it back up to 450. Not sure what affect this had.

The interior temperature of the bread was over 200 after about 40 minutes of uncovered cooking and the bread looked nice and brown, but not as brown as the last loaf.

We cut it open after about 1:15, and it was still damp inside. The bread was kind of spongy, squishing down when I tried to cut it. I guess that's a sign I didn't leave it to cool long enough (how can you resist cutting into this bread??? It takes superhuman effort!).

So:

1. I screwed up again and didn't cook it at the right temp.
2. I cut into it too early
3. I am not sure if the temp or the presence of the parchment paper caused the crust to be lighter than Loaf 2. It just wasn't as crispy.
4. Flavor was OK, but not extraordinary.
5. Crumb looks good - plenty of big holes.

Next loaf -

I will try to cook it at the proper temperature and leave it to cool overnight. If the crust is still light, then I assume the presence of the parchment paper had an impact on it and I can't continue to use the sling method.

I hope that's not the case. I would love to pour the dough on a board, fold it and place it on the parchment paper, let it rest the 15 minutes, deflate it, and then lift the parchment paper into the bowl for the final proof. That way I can avoid over deflating the dough while it sticks to my hands. But if the paper interferes with the creation of that terrific crust, then I will do away with the sling method.

Taste -

If the bread continues to need more taste even after I baked it properly then the answer may be in the use of a starter. My attempts at making french bread with a poolish were very successful. The bread tasted amazing. If I can figure out how to add a poolish to the recipe, I'm sure the sourdough taste will make this bread absolutely perfect.