Warm versus cold autolyze?
I note that most often bakers prefer to use the cold autolyze. Some years ago, I did a test, two identical baker's yeast loaves, except one had a warm autolyze, the other a cold one. The warm autolyze had better crust colors, and much better baked volume. In studies of homebrewing, barley enzymes from malt are most active at warmer temperatures, such as explained here. Both beta and alpha amylase are most active at temperatures above the beginning of wheat gelatinization, about 127°F according to Hoveling and Cornell, while some others say gelatinization begins around 105°F. I try to use a water temperature that when mixed with room temperature wheat flour results in a dough temperature of 105°F, which must then be cooled. Using this method, after cooling small doughballs for at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator, I get wonderful windowpane test results. I'm super happy with this method for baker's yeast loaves.
What are the benefits and attractions of cold autolyze?
The cold autolyze is designed to replace the warm 30m-1h autolyze by retarding the flour and water overnight. A warm overnight autolyze using half the total flour, for instance, is more of an "enzymatic preferment" that highly activates enzymes, instead of just getting them started as in a regular 30 minute autolyze. And duration matters: A 30 minute cold autolyze will NOT have nearly the same effect as a 30 minute warm one; whereas a 12 hour cold autolyze can replace a 30 minute warm autolyze.
Thank you for the clear explanation! My autolyze test was a short period of time, I don't remember precisely how long, but it was not overnight, it was just a couple of hours.