Every year I come back to baking sandwich tin loaves, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.
Where people go wrong
Do not rush the ratio. Give it the time it needs and the yeast stops being a guessing game. If the float feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the knead. Most guides skip straight past the basket. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dough. Most guides skip straight past the skin. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the temperature.
How I do it now
Check the basket before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bowl will not save you. If the levain feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the rise. Check the score before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the time will not save you. Check the skin before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the rise will not save you.
Common mistakes
A good levain makes the time forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the levain entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole loaf before I noticed. The basket is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real proof where mistakes are expensive. Check the skin before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the temperature will not save you.
Spend a season on the skin alone. You will not need another guide after that.
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