Hi Michael, it sounds like your dough may be a bit stiffer or less proofed than in the past, which can lead to the seams opening up on the bottom. It's possible that drier conditions this time of year are causing the dough to be a bit stiffer or drier, so adding a little extra water to your recipe may improve your results. Aim for a soft, supple dough. While making sure that your loaf is adequately proofed should be helpful, reducing the moisture available during the initial oven spring period of baking may make this type of opening up more likely to occur. Check out this blog post on how to add steam to your bread baking for some tips on improving your steaming methods. In addition, proper scoring allows the dough to open up properly on top, so this post on scoring may also be helpful.  

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