I've been making this bread every week for the past three months, and I've learned a lot. One thing I learned from you on some other post is to add flour 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough has the right amount, not too much and not too little. I now have control over the process. And I use the paddle attachment on my mixer for a minute or so both days to make sure the dough ingredients are mixed well. Sometimes I have to add more water, sometimes more flour. Also, I now make it in 8 1/2 by 5 inch loaf pans so we can get the slices into the toaster. Also, with great success, I have been combining the two recipes that came with my starter. So I do everything the way you have written here, but I add 2 teaspoons of instant yeast the second day because my dough was not rising without it. I'm wondering, hoping, that the problem was the dry winter air and that now that it is warmer and more humid, I won't need the yeast the second day. We'll see next week. I have been making bread for over thirty years, and this is spectacular. The flavor and texture are so wonderful. Now we are waiting for our homegrown tomatoes. What a perfect sandwich that will be! Thank you, PJH and KAF. Your instructions make it so easy and successful. And thank YOU, Marcin, for carrying on the great cultural tradition of bread-baking. Sounds like you've become a seasoned sourdough baker; it's certainly interesting, isn't it? A little tweak here, a little change there, and you can produce subtle changes in your bread. Glad we could be a small part of your journey. PJH

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