I reckon letting it rise by the radiator is too warm. Bread that rises in a cool place (I find) has a much better texture. You can even leave it to rise in the fridge overnight - just leave it until it's doubled in size, knock it back, shape it (or put it in the tin) and leave it to double in size again.
I strongly agree. Most of my extended family are Canadian. My mother emigrated after the war, and so did my father. I have a huge network of cousins, all farmers, and so there is quite a clutch of sourdough recipes in my mum's kitchen!
Long cool risings, the smallest amount of yeast, and a routine. It is the routine that makes bread easy. It's one of those things that becomes a chore if you forget this, and suddenly something quite natural no longer fits around everything else in your life.
I used to make the bread for my family every morning. A few minutes preparation before I went to bed, a cold first rising overnight, a quick knock back and final proving in the morning, and everything out of the oven before I went to work. Twenty minutes of real time, and maybe ten minutes washing up.
Do be careful not to use too much yeast. You might get an impressive rise, but the texture will be crap, and the bread will stale quickly.