Thank you for your comments. The bread tastes very good. I had to bake it longer because it was so wet. I think this made the crust harder and thicker than I would have liked. I will definitely try starting with 15% lower hydration the next time.

I am newer at baking with sourdough. I have a rye based starter but fed the levain with T65.

I appreciate all the information on your website. If you have other suggestions for organic, European flours, I would appreciate that information.

Chris, what you're describing with the levain for the whole wheat sandwich bread is a stiff levain – it's intentionally much drier than a typical liquid levain. It should indeed be quite firm (though not quite a "hamburger" texture!). A stiff levain helps create a milder flavor in the final bread and can add strength to the dough.

For this particular recipe, the stiff consistency is by design. However, if it truly didn't show any signs of fermentation after 12 hours, a few things might be happening:

Your kitchen might be cooler than mine, which would slow down fermentation
Your starter might not be at peak activity when building the levain
The flour you're using might absorb water differently

When properly fermented, even a stiff levain should show some signs of activity – slight puffiness, a few visible bubbles on the surface or sides, and a pleasant sour aroma. It won't dramatically rise and fall like a liquid levain, but there should be visible changes.
Adding a bit more water as you did is a reasonable adjustment if it seemed too dry. Let me know how the final bread turns out!

Super glad to hear that, Rosemary! Yes, a regular loaf pan. However, you could also use a Pullman pan (which I love).

Lynne, the T80 French flour is definitely going to behave differently than the typical US flours I use in my recipes. T80 is what we'd call a "high-extraction" flour, with more bran particles than typical US all-purpose or bread flour. These bran particles can disrupt gluten formation and actually make the dough feel wetter initially.

Withholding some water was a smart move when using T80. For your next bake with this flour, I'd suggest starting with about 15% lower hydration than the recipe calls for, then slowly adding more water during mixing if the dough can handle it. Look for a dough that's tacky but still holds its shape.

The good news is that T80 usually produces bread with excellent flavor and a slightly darker crumb. Let me know how the finished loaf turns out!