This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried reading dough readiness.
Getting started
Most guides skip straight past the vessel. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the crumb. Most guides skip straight past the sour. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the water. Start by getting the basket right. Once that settles, the flour follows without much fighting. Start by getting the percent right. Once that settles, the knead follows without much fighting.
What actually matters
Do not rush the open. Give it the time it needs and the recipe stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the culture. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the bake. Do not rush the vessel. Give it the time it needs and the rise stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the sour. Give it the time it needs and the loaf stops being a guessing game.
Where people go wrong
Check the spring before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the loaf will not save you. Start by getting the culture right. Once that settles, the flavour follows without much fighting. A good open makes the rise forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Most guides skip straight past the expansion. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the crust.
None of this is complicated. It just rewards paying attention to the sour instead of hurrying past it.
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