I am baking my first loaves of this bread...and I must say...I'm impressed with the height of these loaves...I had to move my racks around in the oven because they were hitting the next rack above them. That's a good thing.

I have a suggestion for those who were commenting that when they brush the egg white and water mixture over the loaf that it deflates the loaf...I use to make a lot of crusty french breads and I would brush the egg mixture on before letting the loaves proof for the last time...after brushing on the mixture, I'd slit the loaves a bit to prevent bubbles...on these loaves, I did the same thing...I brushed the egg white mixture on before the last rise, then, I put five slits in the top on a diagonal angle. They look so pretty in the oven, and they didn't deflate due to any brushing or sliting after they had a chance to rise.

Thanks for such detailed instructions on this recipe!