A few weeks on, and the last of the first attempt is finally gone from the freezer. So I had another go. This time, I used a sponge method: that is, I made an initial mix to a thick batter-like consistency and left it for twelve hours before adding the rest of the flour. I don't know if that made a difference or not. I left the final dough slightly wetter, anyway. I didn't bother with a final proof after shaping, given that - unlike with a wheat loaf - there is no pulling about of the dough from which it has to re-rise and recover. In the interests of improving the crust, I smoothed it as much as I could with wet hands and then wiped it over with a few drops of oil. Finally I slashed it. I also used a hotter oven.
The appearance was certainly a lot better: browned, and less sandy and desiccated. The crust was much better too, thinner and crisper. The flavour was very good. Complex and developed, although at 20-24 hours proving, the sour notes were more developed than I think a wheat loaf would have been at the same point, perhaps too much so for some palates. The crumb, while more open than last time, was still less open than I would have liked; it may be necessary to use a tin to achieve more lift and a lighter texture.
So: all in all better than last time, but some room for improvement!
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