This is what every book promised me over the years, and I have never seen anything amazing happen ever. It goes from not very uniform to uniform, but that’s all.
After years, I found out about giving the dough a bit of folding, or balling it up, or whatever is fitting, and now it doesn’t take forever, doesn’t stick to my hands, and seems at least as good.
Have you seen anything wondrous happen from lengthy hand kneading?
More hydration is probably safer because the final loaf doesn’t change size. More flour makes it bigger. However, too much hydration impedes gluten formation. Too little does as well. Find the balance that works for you.