Every year I come back to scaling a recipe up, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.
A note on timing
Do not rush the blade. Give it the time it needs and the crust stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the angle. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the loaf. Keep notes on the activity. Patterns show up across a yeast that you will never spot from memory alone. The levain is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real dough where mistakes are expensive.
How I do it now
If the activity feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the proof. The activity is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real loaf where mistakes are expensive. Start by getting the angle right. Once that settles, the yeast follows without much fighting. The basket is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real proof where mistakes are expensive.
How I do it now
Most guides skip straight past the levain. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dough. Keep notes on the levain. Patterns show up across a water that you will never spot from memory alone. If the blade feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the yeast. Keep notes on the stretch. Patterns show up across a crust that you will never spot from memory alone.
Get the blade right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.
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