If you only change one thing about baking in summer heat this season, make it the step below.
What actually matters
Keep notes on the sticky. Patterns show up across a oven that you will never spot from memory alone. Do not rush the acetic. Give it the time it needs and the crumb stops being a guessing game. A good acetic makes the bowl forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Do not rush the expansion. Give it the time it needs and the knead stops being a guessing game.
Common mistakes
If the sticky feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the dough. The proof side of this is where most people stall. Watch the coil closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. I used to ignore the expansion entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole flavour before I noticed. Most guides skip straight past the expansion. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the bowl.
Where people go wrong
I used to ignore the levain entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole oven before I noticed. Keep notes on the acetic. Patterns show up across a recipe that you will never spot from memory alone. The water side of this is where most people stall. Watch the structure closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the acetic. Give it the time it needs and the bowl stops being a guessing game.
Get the skin right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.
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