Talk about deflating, this is worse than almost anything...
I started two batches of sourdough on Friday, last, and another batch of rye on Saturday. Saturday afternoon the first batch of sourdough was ready for baking, perhaps a little over-proofed but still good. I had been away from home too long and I didn't have time to heat the stone, so I yanked it and put the batards on a baking sheet, set them in the oven, tossed in some water and set the timer. Then like an idiot I stood there and watched the steam billow out of the oven vent and thought, "You know, I should block that." So I laid a towel up against the vent. Now looking back I can see that any moron could deduce that if you won't let the steam come out where the oven designers designed it should, it's gonna go somewhere else. Apparently those same designers designed that if the intended vent were ever to be blocked, the next best path is right into the electronic control panel. Let me just say that little electronic panel got unhappy. Imagine your bathroom window in the winter after you have emptied your water heater by way of a long, luxuriously hot shower...
Error codes flashing, no gas gassing, no heat continuing to support that outstanding ovenspring. Incessant beeping. Irritation. Three loaves of bread in the garbage. Next day, all seems well, no steam left in the little window, no target temperature will ramp up on the display... no heat in oven. Rising bread with nowhere to bake it. Rising very slowly because I had to chill it to go to church. Air conditioning on and still slow rising... 8 pm and nowhere to bake the bread. Irritation and frustration... toss the rye into the garbage...
That's my story, and I'm stuck with it.
Lee