September 23, 2018 - 6:59am
Autolyse with SD Starter
How long can I autolyse with starter? Reason I ask is my starter is at peak and I want to get the process going. Typically I have to either go out or get interrupted between autolyse and stretch and folds. Any idea how long I can go with starter/water and flour?
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FWIW, some baguette recipes use a 36-hour autolyze (mostly cold). For loaves, I typically use 1 hour. So I don't think there's a hard and fast rule for how long to go.
I have had a love/hate relationship with autolyze. I never liked doing it because of what I preceived as an extra step I couldn't fit in, but I have picked up this step again within the last couple of months. I think most approach autolyze with no levain. I prefer adding my levain along with the flour/water autolyze... I like that it gives fermentation a jump start before adding the salt. For me, the results are noticeable during stretch and folds, which also translates to a better shape, and ultimately a better bake. This also works really well with my baking schedule.
KA Blog has a detailed write up of various test-cases, which is interesting to read through. TL;DR version: they add starter with the autolyze.
https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2017/09/29/using-the-autolyse-method/
I'm intrigued by the possible differences between autolyze with and without the levain. I suspect I won't be able to tell much difference, personally. I'm with you, I would rather use my levain and starter at peak.
Thanks for the link, great article!!
As soon as the starter goes into the dough. If it's included in the autolyse then that'll have to be taken into account. If your starter is ready and you wish to autolyse without the starter then a 20-30 minutes autolyse won't be the end of the world. It won't go from ready to "past it's sell by date" in that time. If you're going for a longer autolyse then you can pop the starter in the fridge. I only ever autolyse with the starter if it's high percentage and if the starter is not included then it won't be possible to do an autolyse.
only, no salt, no levain, no yeast, no nothing but flour and water. It is best not to change a word' meaning for convenience because once that happens a total disaster can be a great success or death becomes a new personal beginning:-)
Once the leaven hits the mix is is called a preferment or a ferment. Some like to say that it is OK to put some leaven in the autolyse if there isn't enough water in the rest of the formula to do a proper autolyse to get the flour wet. This sounds great but it it is a stretch. There are bagel recipes with 50% water total. The flour weight with half that weight in water is fine for an autolyse. If your recipe has less than 50% water in the autolyse than you really need that recipe to not have an autolyse or just call it a really dry autolyse instead because even a bit of water say 35% is enough to sprout grains:-)
Was wondering why no salt, what does the salt do to the autolyse process. Reason I am asking this is because my last 2 loaves I added starter, flour, salt and water together and autolyse for 1 hour. It was the best bread I made in a while. Anyone know what the difference of Just flour vs. flour, water, starter, salt?
Performing an autolyse means mixing flour and water, letting them rest together. The word comes from "auto" (itself) and "-lysis" (breaking down). When the flour comes into contact with water, some of its enzymes start to get activated. One enzyme, protease, starts gently breaking down the gluten. This will help make your dough more stretchy. Another, amylase (yes, same enzyme as found in saliva!) starts breaking down starches into sugars.
Benefits of autolyse:
-increased fermentation
-more extensible (stretchy, easy to shape) dough
-better fermentation later when you add yeast (because more sugar is available for yeasties)
-better crust colour (sugar caramelises, causing browning)
-improved flavour (those sugars again)
Salt tightens gluten, which is the opposite effect you want from an autolyse.
True autolyse = only flour and water
(most of this understanding with massive thanks to Trevor J Wilson, who explains it all marvelously in his ebook)
Cheers
Lisa
Thank you, I finally understand.
and just gets in the way of the flour absorbing water plus it gets in the way of the enzymes doing their work as it slows their catalytic action down - which really gets in the way of what an autolyse is trying to accomplish.
Your making good bread by mixing everything together and letting is rest is perfectly normal and makes good bread. But it just isn't an autolyse - it is fermenting.
Happy baking
Thank you