I may do the same, but I'm not as good at that yet. I can easily tell if a dough is too slack (loose), but I'm not as good at telling when it's too dry or stiff, especially when making a bread for the first time. I fed my starter tonight with some lukewarm water and pumpernickel flour, which just drove it crazy (it nearly burst out of its jar!), so in trying to adjust that I probably have the hydration percentages off by now anyway. That leaves adjusting consistency each time as the best option for a while. It's still worth it! Matt, you are a TRUE breadhead. Congratulations! Yeast loves pumpernickel due to its extra minerals - or so I've heard... PJH

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