The crust is starting to get there. I added about half a cup of Red Mills Gluten Flour to the recipe. I had been trying that in bagels, and I think it makes the crust chewier.
Even when an experiment ends with an imperfect loaf of bread, it is still rewarding. It almost always tastes wonderful.
I miss working on “real world” projects; my days are spent writing, talking, thinking, answering the phone, and generally putting out fires involving email. Lots of email. Baking is a chance to break out of the routine, enjoy the process, and simply do something different.