Hi Karen, I would recommend covering your starter with something a little more secure than a cloth. The reason we say to "cover loosely" isn't because the starter needs airflow in order to ferment properly (it doesn't), but because fermentation gases can build up in a tightly lidded container and cause the lid to pop off. However, it is important to protect your starter from drying out on top, and from odors and other unwanted invaders in the refrigerator. It's fine to cover your starter container securely with plastic wrap or even a lid, as long as your jar has sufficient head room above the starter for fermentation gasses to collect, and you open the container now and then to vent the gases. 

As to the consistency of your starter. If you're maintaining your starter according to our recipe then this is considered an 100% hydration starter (equal parts flour and water by weight), while your previous starter consistency would be 200% hydration (twice as much water as flour, by weight). Both of these are considered "liquid" starters, although, obviously, one is more liquidy than the other. It depends on which recipe you want to follow, but if you want to continue with our recipe you're looking for a thick, but easily stirrable paste consistency right after feeding. As the starter rises and ferments it becomes more like a thick pancake batter with bubbles throughout, and if allowed to fall completely it will return to the level it was when first fed, with perhaps some frothy bubbles on top. A thinner, more liquidy starter will have a harder time showing a significant rise because the fermentation gases tend to travel through the starter more quickly and collect on the surface. 

Scoring bread dough can be challenging, especially as a beginner, because the blade tends to move more smoothly through the dough if you're able to cut quickly and assertively. If you find the dough is deflating significantly when you cut it, this is a sign that it's a bit over-proofed, so try putting the bread in the oven earlier. When the surface of the dough is very wet and sticky it can be helpful to rub a thin layer of flour over the surface and let the dough dry out for a minute or two before slashing. The depth of your cuts should vary, depending on how proofed the dough is, with "younger" (less-proofed) dough requiring a deeper cut than dough that is more proofed. For more tips on scoring bread dough, check out this blog post. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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