LLM777,

If you are referring to the Master WW recipe, are you adding the salt that he calls for in the soaker? I have never had the soaker turn any color. In fact there is a photo of my soaker cut up into chunks here. The only other thing I may be doing differently is I always use buttermilk or milk with yogurt whisked in for the acid.

I have had good luck cutting up the preferment and soaker and then dusting the flour with the yeast combined, over the dough . Then I melt the butter in a small cup and pour the honey into the butter on the scale. I stir it up but it won't combine. Then as you can see in the photo, I pour the mixture over the top and turn on the mixer. I think this would be hard by hand. It's such a mess with the butter and honey. If you weigh everything carefully, there shouldn't be a need to adjust for hydration.

I knead by hand after the mixer so I understand what you are asking. A small amount of water on the hands and now and then scrape the counter clean. A few turn of the slap and fold to be sure you have well developed gluten and into an oiled bowl for fermenting. Hope this helps.

Eric

When I'm adding ingredients to a recipe that calls for adding such things after the dough has been prepared, I simply stretch the dough into a big thin piece....sprinkle all the ingredients evenly......fold up letter style.....then I start to  knead.  I work entirely by hand on the counter....it starts as a mess, but eventually everything  gets kneaded in smoothly.  As far as kneading sticky doughs and using water....hmmmm.....I never knead conventionally.  I slam the dough, stretch, and fold over and over......I never add water or flour...adding anything using this technique makes the process go longer......