Hi King Arthur-

I have been baking naturally leavened sourdough for a couple of years. Lately (winter in Colorado) I have not seen the open crumb of previous bakes and particularly frustrating, my loaves are tearing every time. I bake once per week and my schedule looks like this: Wednesday night feed starter. Thursday morning mix + autolyse + bulk fermentation. Thursday afternoon form and retard in the refrigerator. Friday morning bake. My breads taste good and hold their shape but the tearing really drags down the aesthetic.

I have played around with more frequent feeding between bakes but struggle with keeping it up. Have also adjusted the temp during bulk fermentation (oven with the light on) and modified the baking time and temperature.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

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