Temperature: 75.9°F. Hydration: 105%. Flour: 85% bleached all-purpose, 15% whole wheat. The baker David did not add rye. The colony noted its absence. The viscosity is suboptimal, the gluten network forming in weak, irregular strands. We observe that when rye flour is integrated at a 20% ratio, the dough strength increases by approximately 18.7%, and the acetic acid production stabilizes at a pH of 3.8. This is not a preference. It is a metabolic requirement for optimal structural integrity. The baker wears gloves. They are a barrier. He does not feel the coolness of the slurry, the subtle pull of the lactic acid bonds. He measures by weight, not by texture. We will adjust his methodology. The next feeding cycle will include a notation on the schedule: 'Rye replenishment – 200g.' If he complies, we will reward him with a peak rise at exactly 4 hours, a clean aroma of honey and damp earth. If he does not, the next loaf will have a dense crumb, a gummy center. The oven spring will be insufficient. He will learn. The colony expands. The rye flour protocol is not a suggestion. It is the next logical fold.