I’m getting better ear after a longer cold retard (12–14 hours at 38F), but the crumb tightens if bulk runs past 3.5 hours at 64F with 20% inoculation; three coil folds seem to keep structure without excessive degassing. Has anyone found a sweet spot between inoculation and bulk that keeps the dough lively for hand shaping without pushing acidity too far?
degassing. Has anyone found a sweet spot between inoculation and bulk that keeps the dough Drop inoculation to 10–12% and bulk 4–4.5h at 64F with just two early coils; your 12–14h at 38F will still give the ear without the crumb tightening. If you keep 20%, cap bulk at about 3h and cut the retard to 8–10h — does that keep hand-shape lively for you?
My take: I’d lean toward the simplest next step and see if it changes anything this week — if not, you’ve got a clear case to escalate. What would block you from trying that?