Shitty Food Porn

As I said, I don't disagree with the need for precision and repeatability - and respectfully, and without wanting to directly appeal to authority, I've been home baking for over 15 years and professionally for about half of that - but just repeating the same recipe every time is not going to teach you what the changes you make cause precisely because you will always be dealing with the inconsistencies which occurs within your kitchen.

My standard loaf recipe - because I live neat the coast at approx 55deg North - varies greatly across the year depending on time of year. In the summer everything is quicker - especially if sourdough or misc yeasts - even if all quantifies are literally identical. This is because of different temperatures during autolyse of, or quantities of lime/impurities, etc in, the water. This can lead to a good 5cm lower rise across hours in winter compared to summer.

My point is simply, these differences are not a problem or something to be worried about. They are a fact of life because, as you say, baking is a science.

Enjoy doing it, and most of all enjoy eating it. That is all that matters.