peter, i have used a vcm for 25 years ,there is a blunt dough blade that is used ,my hydration is 64 percent and i use ice to keep my finished dough under 84 degrees . i under mix as per a recommendation by tom lehmann ,my mix time is 90 seconds .i start with a broth of salt, malt,yeast some water i wisk it to blend then add oil and ice i bring my weight up to a pre determined level based on outside temperature and humidity.i used a hobart before and did not see a difference . water is the key to making the vcm work. each batch of dough has a finished weight of 42.5 pounds.
remember the caputo is only an experiment i have tried hand mix, vcm mix,and kitchen aid mix . no major difference in taste or structure. my lightest dough has been hand kneaded , a 4 hour bulk rise which tripled in volume .i knocked it down cut kneaded floured and covered for three hours and used it at that point.
i think that dough has to be close to the no return point to get it to leopard at high temp[ 900 degrees ]. if our dough is over proofed it bakes white and is unacceptable . that same dough would probably get some color in a wood oven.