The easiest way to get a well rising bread is to use high-protein flour >=12g / 100g https://www.instagram.com/p/BiJhdU_gHkd
Kitchen temperature for reference is 23, but a hot kitchen will significantly speed up the process.
75g water, 75g flour, 1 tbsp of active starter mixed in a tall glass. This will allow you to see it grow and bubble https://www.instagram.com/p/BiH331uA52N It should swell to 2x its volume in 8-12 hours. If that doesn't happen you need to keep refreshing the starter until it's active enough.
A ratio that is easy enough to work with but still pretty wet is 3:4: eg. 525g water 700g flour
separate 50g water, add 10g salt (or whatever) and mix the rest of the water into the glass of sponge (to minimize waste and cleanup) then pour into a bowl
now you have a bowl of water mixed with starter from the sponge. Mix in the flour and let it sit for 30-60 minutes.
Pour in the salty water, this separation will make it easier to handle the dough, at this stage it resembles mozarella in brine. Stretch and fold, it will be tough, chunky, and tear easily in the beginning. Try to work the salty water into the dough.
For about 3 hours repeat every 30 minutes:
- flip the dough over
- stretch, fold over, rotate - until it no longer stretches but breaks
If you do this in a see-through container you will be able to see bubbling and rise better.
Let the dough rest in the fridge at 4 C for around 24 hours. You way want to check on it halfway through.
Take out of fridge, pour out onto a floured surface and fold the 4 corners in. This takes some practice so don't worry about it too much. The last corner should be left longer and it wraps the loaf. Now you have a ball which you roll around in flour. The dough feels fluid and fragile somewhat.
Place in a (very) well floured (important) proofing basket or similar for about 1 hour.
This is a simplified version of this process: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-sourdough-bread-224367
Turn on oven, for good results you can use a cast iron dutch oven https://bagerenogkokken.dk/gryder-stegepander/stobejernsgryder/lodge-dobbel-stobejernsgryde-473-liter/?vat=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpq3hqNO83QIVybHtCh0nIgieEAQYAiABEgKsKPD_BwE You can turn that on upside down so it's easier to put bread in, and probably maintain moisture better.
Heat to 250C fan with the empty pot inside.
This takes up to an hour to warm up,
give the bread another 1 hour to proof.
This bit is tricky as the pot will be hot and you need to move fast.
Flour the top of the loaf in the basket so it for sure doesn't stick to the pot. Take the pot out of the oven, flip the basket onto the pan, add lid, put in oven for 25 minutes. Optionally score the bread with a sharp knife, I usually don't do this.
After 25 minutes remove the lid and lower temperature to 220 and give it another 20 minutes.
When the bread is done enough it will brown and have a hollow sound when tapping on it. You'll have to experiment to get the best results and you should take notes.
Resist the temptation to cut open the hot loaf, let it cool to room temperature.
If you have some huge bubbles towards the top of the bread it means that you have proofed / let it rise for too long and the acid has collapsed the gluten.
If the bread doesn't rise enough you may need more active starter, but it should have risen enough in the sponge phase. Also the flour could have not enough protein, also rye bread doesn't rise and whole grain flour rises less.
This kind of bread is significantly different from a baguette in the way that it feels quite moist, but it's a rubbery moist so it should be cooked through evenly inside. It's less tasty if it is baked dry, also the crust shouldn't be too thick.
If the dough is too moist in the proofing stage and not enough flour is used it may stick to the proofing basket which is very disappointing, just give it a quick reshaping so the air doesn't escape through the tear.
If the pot is not hot enough and the dough is too wet and not floured enough it may stick to the pot, which is immensely disappointed.