All ye who pass, see if there is any sorrow like unto my sorrow

Trust in nature. Skip the yeast.

Eric

If you are going to do this wild yeast thing - remember: "Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you."  If a loaf of bread is enough to cause you sorrow, you have lead a charmed life indeed.

Seriously, though, some tips.

• If you have holes where a mouse can hide, it is probably a flaw in your shaping method
• Any pre ferment that you use with wild yeast must absolutely be at its peak - not beyond and not before.  It should be elastic (Over ripe starter will be liquid.  Even 100% hydration pre ferment will be elastic at its peak.) and full of bubbles.  You can get away with some error with this with commercial yeast - not so with wild yeast.
• Very young storage starter can be problematic - some problems will simply resolve themselves on their own over time.
• Be prepared for significantly longer fermentation times.

Hope this helps - good luck on your next bake.

If given the choice between loaves with "rooms where the baker lives" and bricks, I'd definitely take the overlarge holes. Even "flying crust" isn't a deal breaker. If it tastes good and doesn't threaten to break my teeth, I can always just close my eyes and enjoy it anyway.

I, too had loaves too dense for eating and trouble with holes in the loaves, etc.in the beginning of my sourdough (synonymous with wild yeast) adventures. You've just got to put your time in and figure the first few loaves are sacrifices for the sake of your own education. You might try following some old threads in the sourdough category of The Fresh Loaf since many of us have tread the same path before you.

The man referred to above, Jesus, was very fond of bread as a teaching tool.

EvaGal