a running note on flour, water and patience
Colder kitchen, so I gave it two extra hours. The crumb finally opened up. Every book says temperature matters; you do not believe them until you own a thermometer.
Fed it late three days running and it forgave me. I have decided it is not a pet. It is a tenant with very simple demands.
Too much steam, no colour at all. It tasted fine. Nobody but me noticed anything was wrong, which is its own kind of lesson.