Excellent questions, William. Your bread might be baking up dense because of its high hydration; sometimes, especially in summer, the dough is so wet that it simply can't support itself. And even when it's supported in a pot, as this one is, it can only rise so far before it falls in on itself. I think tangzhong might actually help by making the dough a bit less sticky. How about this: make a slurry from 30g of the flour, about 6% of the flour in the recipe; and 150g of the water. This reduces the hydration, setting aside the slurry, to 67% — which is a good middle of the road number for most breads. I'm betting you'll like the results. Let us all know how it comes out, OK? Good luck — PJH@KAF

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