Since my original email I have made the Italian 101 and Classic Baguettes - both included directions for starters so it was not necessary to use the conversion formula you provided - but I look forward to trying it in the very near future. What a difference in flavor prefermentation makes! Both turned out delicious. I've always thought it was so much extra time to start it the night before and make it a two day process but it really was nothing at all. Creating the steam for the baguettes proved to be a bit of a challenge for me as the water exploded in the microwave while heating it to a boil (live and learn!) and when I finally got ready to pour it into the cast iron pan there was so much steam that it fogged my glasses and most of it escaped while I tried to take my glasses off so I could see what I was doing!!! Needless to say the baguettes did not have that nice shiny crust but the flavor did not suffer one single bit. Chalk it up to another learning experience. YUM!!!

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