Mixed Results on a Multi Grain Loaf

I think I let my ambition and imagination get ahead of reality with this loaf. Most of the tricks that I've been playing with lately went into this loaf but I'm not really happy with the outcome. This list of tricks included high hydration, an aerated starter, a soaker, and a longer oven preheat for the baking stone. I'm thinking that a smaller loaf would have gotten more dramatic results. Otherwise, I like the flavor just fine. The next time this comes up in the planning rotation, I hope to keep that memo to myself in the front of my mind.

Starter
150 g at 85% hydration, 75% AP/ 25% whole rye

Soaker
80 g Montana Milling 9 Grain Cereal
80 g water

Main Dough
300 g bread flour
100 g stoneground whole wheat flour
280 g water at 90f
11 g kosher salt
All of Starter
All of Soaker

Good news and bad news on the gardening front today. The bad news is that it appears a deer found its way over to my garden last night and started eating some of my cucumber vines. The damage isn't fatal but Bambi and her kind aren't welcome here. The tomatoes are just starting to ripen and I'd rather not share. The better news is that I've got all my garlic dug up now. The hard neck garlic that I planted last fall turned out as an average size crop. I do have enough big bulbs to plant next season's crop and give some to my brother to see if they'll thrive in Massachusetts conditions. There's also enough to give away to some other local gardeners as samples of what kind of flavor they can expect if they plant their own. One of our flower beds holds a wild garlic bulb of unknown origins that I want to dig up this week. It may be truly wild and it may be the result of something that I did years ago. I'm looking forward to finding out.

Comments, humor, and questions are welcome.