Whole Wheat Loaf

I    've been interested in really dialing in on making a nice whole wheat loaf this year, hoping to get to a point where I can consistently make a loaf that has enough of an airy texture + richness of whole wheat to make white flour less relevant in my repertoire.  I've had some good starts that I documented here, but I recently had a really satisfying breakthrough loaf, that I think pretty well meets my criteria for success, so I'll give it a post of its own.

I recently moved to work in Maine, so I was working with Maine Grains hard red spring wheat.

Maine Grains whole wheat 100%

Water 90%

Starter 11%

Salt ~3 tsp

Pretty much same approach as documented in earlier posts but some of the stages were a bit drawn out because I was working with lower temperatures.  Maybe slightly longer on the retard stage (12-13 hrs) as I was at a dinner and didn't get back home to bake until later than planned.

The result is really nicely airy, a few overly big holes, but not enough to bother me much.  Flavor is nice- rich but mellow, not as bland and astringent as the KAF whole wheat I was using previously.  Texture is very soft.  

I'm not sure what to attribute the improved results to- perhaps good grain, perhaps an appropriate hydration for the flour, or maybe just pushing the bulk fermentation and retard a little bit longer.  Whatever it is, if I can consistently make this loaf, I'll be very pleased!