April 25, 2017 - 3:35am
The Autolyse Method
Hello friends,
I am planning an English muffin bake for today. I will be substituting 2 of the 5 cups of AP flour for WW flour. The recipe calls for 2 2/3 cups milk, 1/3 cup water as the liquid. I want to rise the amount of water by a 1/4 cup, to allow for the absorbency of the WW flour. My plan is to do a 45 min. autolyze with all the flour and all the milk, while withholding the 1/4 cup of water to mix the dry yeast. My Question can an autolyze be done in milk? Alternatively, I could switch to all water and add 1/2 cup dry milk. The other option is to just follow the darn recipe as written; but what fun is that? LOL. Thanks for reading.
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for an autolyse. Might want to go a little longer than 45 min.
Great, I am getting to mixing right away! Hey Mini, could I add the vinegar also, make them WW buttermilk English muffins?
Vinegar should help speed up the autolyse.
I'm still a newbie at bread making. I have not seen autolyse recommendations over about 20-30 minutes. Calvel recommended 15 minutes in his baguette formula. Thanks!
Is because it's whole-wheat. Wholegrain needs longer. I've heard that warm water also speeds things up.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/11796/effect-vinegar-instant-yeast-dough
http://www.northwestsourdough.com/experiments-with-autolyse-autolysis/
https://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/04/whole-grains-grinding-soaking.html
Re: Northwest SD experiment. My understanding is that autolyse is a pre mixing of flour and water, excluding all other ingredients. I would call that a delayed salt addition experiment as the starter is incorporated. As we know salt inhibits yeast activity so it is not surprising that delaying salt led to more fermentation. Not saying that's a bad thing just not an autolyse.
As to the other, soaking is not an autolyse either?
Sorry...just trying to understand.
but the bit about the protein breaking down (in the introduction) is was what I was concentrated on:
"The Protease enzyme, breaks apart and realigns protein strands, helping to promote the formation of newly aligned gluten bonding. At the same time it also weakens the bonds so that the dough is not too tough/rubbery. Dough needs a certain amount of extensibility which means it can stretch out. You don’t want dough so tough that you cannot handle it or stretch it. It needs to stretch as well as have a certain amount of bounce back to it (elasticity)."
Vinegar will also break protein chains and autolyse dough when not used in excess (which would attack gluten bonds.)
Soaking will also accomplish many of the same things as autolysis. Soaking can also have restrictions in the amount used but when using the word, could imply that the flour is allowed to hydrate fully. Point being... flour is allowed to hydrate. Water molecules start the process.
Milk contains at least 85% water and 10 to 11% milk solids ... and a good deal of enzymes that would help trigger breakdown and/or realignment of protein chains. If the recipe calls for milk, use milk. It is still an autolytic type process.
"Milk contains at least 85% water and 10 to 11% milk solids ... and a good deal of enzymes that would help trigger breakdown and/or realignment of protein chains."
A good reason to heat milk to over 180F too to avoid the relaxing effects of glutathione.
of English muffins! YAY!
Will, I don't know for sure, but autolyse is primarily flour plus hydration - and I so think you can use milk plus water and it should work fine. Lets us know how it comes out.
I am going toi give it a go. I will add it to my blog, for sure! Thanks.
I cannot figure that one out. Did you read it someplace? Have you tried it? Certainly it might have been based on observation of such an effect from an old SD starter. A pH effect maybe?
Fiddle sticks! Well the dough was very wet and shaggy at the hydration I used, which is high, I figured it at 82%. Anyway, I overcame that by letting it rest, It was way to wet to knee by hand for very long. Instead I did stretch and folds at 15min intervals. After one hour The dough was looking nice! Alas I am 90% sure I rolled the dough out way to thin. They are resting before the bake. Live and learn.
I most certainly have to give this another try. I think the crumb is pretty nice for 40% WW. Will have to wait till next week. This is the best one, that resembles the size and shape of an English muffin. I have to count this experiment as a success. With a little tweaking,
I think I have a winner, winner chicken dinner!
... maybe you just want to "follow the darn recipe as written" :-)
So just make/rise and cook the things. For me (with muffins) it's the filling that counts - the bread part is just the carrier.
I use this recipe/guide as my "go to" muffin recipe. It "just works" and tastes great..
Eggs Benedict & Home Cooked English Muffin - The Fabulous Baker Brothers
Yea, the video is a bit fluffy, the actual recipe is 450g flour, 300g milk, big blob of butter, sugar, yeast and salt. Mix, single rise, gently shape, cut and 10 minutes in the pan...
Works for me (and my wife ;-)
-Gordon
tears up the spinach. I like that! ...and the video. (mixer looks familiar) Nutmeg also good in plain muffins.
Would you say medium heat on the fry pan?
The issue I've found is that "medium heat" is a bit meaningless - you need to experiment with cookers and pans. I use a large "Aga" frying pan that weighs a tonne and often causes the induction hob to overheat, so practice is needed. I do cook other things on pan though - pancakes (too hot for muffins!) and singin' hinnies - same temperature. You want about 5-6 minutes each side without burning.
-Gordon