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Originally posted by Ashley

Hi! To start, I have a couple of questions. Which type of flour are you using, and when you mix your dough, are you adding the upper limit of flour called for in the recipe?

During your last attempt, I suspect that the overnight rise contributed to the wet consistency of your bread. As it sat overnight, the yeasts and bacteria likely worked to break down the gluten proteins in the flour, resulting in a loose dough. It's comparable to when you first get your mother started—the flour/water mixture is thick and sticky, but after the first few days, once some yeasts and bacteria get their feet in the door, the consistency of your mother relaxes.

The best process for making the boule is to turn it as described in step 4 using bowl scraper. It sounds like you had difficulty with this initially, because your loaves were turning out formless. I think adding more flour would remedy this issue. You want the dough to be a little wet, because during the first 2 hour proof, the flour in the dough will absorb excess water. This is especially true for Kamut and sprouted wheat. However, your dough shouldn't be so wet that you can't work it with lightly oiled hands. Knowing which type of flour you're using is helpful for troubleshooting, because each one behaves differently (we touch on some of these quirks in the section titled "Let's Talk Flour and Specialty Ingredients", which begins on p. 190).

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