I think you've hit the nail on the head here. When people complain about the flavor, they're not comparing apples to apples. Easy to do, since this looks like - and has the crust of - a fine artisanal loaf. But few if any of those are made using only commercial yeast rather than a starter of some sort. ← Tammy, I think YOU'VE hit the nail on the head, at least for me. It isn't the bread, it's my expectations. My loaves have a great crust, but flavor-wise not what I expected. After the 1st loaf I did increase the salt. The next 3 loaves were made with my grandchildren, who love this bread, so we just used bread flour. I am going to change up the flour, save some starter and take the bread for what it is. The recipe is too easy not to make.