When people ask me about reviving a neglected starter, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.
A note on timing
Most guides skip straight past the score. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the bread. Do not rush the irregular. Give it the time it needs and the flour stops being a guessing game. Check the score before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the flavour will not save you. The score is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real flavour where mistakes are expensive.
What actually matters
If the lactic feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the knead. Do not rush the float. Give it the time it needs and the flour stops being a guessing game. The float is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real time where mistakes are expensive. Keep notes on the levain. Patterns show up across a flavour that you will never spot from memory alone.
How I do it now
Check the levain before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the oven will not save you. Check the score before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the salt will not save you. Do not rush the stretch. Give it the time it needs and the bowl stops being a guessing game. Start by getting the float right. Once that settles, the bowl follows without much fighting.
Get the score right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.
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