Hey TFL! This is my first post and my circumstances are dire... I recently purchased the wonderful Tartine Bread from my local bookstore and started the recipe for the basic country loaf. My starter is strong and acidic, when I made my leaven, it was wonderfully sweet-smelling, just as Chad described it should be. I mixed my dough with ease, let it rest the full 40 minutes, incorporated the salt and last bit of water, and let it go into the bulk fermentation. I did the turns and the dough responded very well, it seemed, and I was excited to see such a billowy, aerated dough by hour four. Then came time to shape the little guys...

The dough was still VERY sticky, despite its growth and apparent strength, and was difficult to pull out of its container, let alone separate and shape. The real problem came when I tried to "flip" the dough from the un-floured side to the floured side: it just stuck to my work surfaced and would not flip. I think the whole process of trying to flip the dough pieces plus my incredibly mediocre attempt at shaping the sticky globs built too much tension or released too much gas. What I got after baking was a wonderful crust around a far-too-dense, spongy brick. It smelled and tasted wonderful, but the crumb was grey and extremely chewey, almost inedibly so...

TFL, I need your help! What are some recommendations to help me along in the shaping stage before the bench rest? Did I miss something in the bulk fermentation, perhaps? What can I do to make sure I get the open, soft crumb I keep seeing in all your successful posts and in the books super sexy photos!

Al