After more than two weeks in getting a starter developed, I finally tried to make a loaf. The oven spring looks fine in the top half of the load, but the bottom half is quite dense. I wasn't able to develop a good tension on the outer surface after bulk fermentation and the dough remained rather wet and "flowing" the entire time (even getting it out of a heavily floured proofing bowl became a significant challenge). I allowed a longer bulk fermentation on my second attempt (over four hours), but results were the same. I am baking in a cast iron duct oven to maintain the moisture for the first twenty minutes of baking, but it is apparent to me that the issue is well before baking. Am I cutting my bulk fermentation too short? How can I tell when to transition from bulk fermentation to bench rest and proofing? The flavor is quite good, but I'm rather embarrassed by the flat loaves I've produced thus far.

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