Through trial & error, I've ended up following all of your suggestions - and then some! I use a bread machine only because I don't have an oven (I live in Thailand). I make sourdough bread, mostly whole wheat, and I'm finally getting good results. However, my latest problem is that the crust is not browning properly (I check the internal temperature, so that's not the problem). I understand that long ferments can reduce sugar content, which I suspect is the problem... but what can I do about it? The recipes I follow all use extremely high oven temperatures, which of course I cannot replicate... any suggestions? Next batch I will try an egg wash or some equivalent, but if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them.

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