S&F Autolyse
Long time lurker, first time poster.
I've been working a recipe inspired by '36 hours+ sourdough baguette - everything I know in one bread', which is a nearly five year old post, but still inspiring. Thank you txfarmer.
Of course, I'm doing my own spin but this is the first time I've done an extended autolyse and a refridge bulk ferment for 24 hours plus.
Live levain, 100% hydration. Small batch - 500 g flour, 375 g water, 75% hydration totals.
So I mix my flour and water to autolyse (minus salt and levain) and it's about 65 % hydration at this point (a bit shaggy). I put it in my proofer at 100 F. After 30 minutes I took it out to try and further the mix. I found myself doing a S&F in the bowl, like Ken Forkish would recommend (FWSY). So, I continued to S&F every 30 minutes or so for 2-3 hours.
I didn't know you could develop gluten so well with just flour and water (I guess I figured the yeasties had to be involved somehow - silly me).
My question is this. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to developing gluten in this way?
Thanks.
dobie
I find it harder to incorporate the starter and salt when the gluten is already well developed. I also don't think it is good to develop gluten in that way and then break it down by adding in starter and salt. Thirdly, I don't think it helps to have a long autolyse with white flour, but some have said that it is helpful with whole grains (which absorb more water). Because of this, to me it seems like extra, unnecessary work. I would add everything right away (maybe hold the salt at first, maybe not) and S+F for the bulk ferment and then retard whenever you so desire.
There is also no reason to heat the flour and water in a proofer. It actually comes together better when colder.
Flour is 80% AP and 20% homeground hard white wheat (no sift). I only autolysed in the proofer because I added the water cold from the fridge.
When you say it comes together better cold, do you mean the flour hydrates better cold, does gluten develop better cold? Either or, it seems counter-intuitive.
I think you are right that the gluten developed in autolyse might be harmed when adding levain and salt (altho it did come together pretty easily).
I've read several conflicting reports regarding autolyse. Some say extended time is good, others say it only needs a half hour with no benefit from longer times.
I've also read that some people add the yeast or levain in the original mix and consider it autolysing (Ken Forkish, I believe). At this point, the difference between autolyse and bulk ferment becomes blurred to me. The only difference is the addition of the salt.
Which leads me to this question - what is the effect of salt on the developement of yeast, bacteria and microbes? I would think it would retard them but I don't know.
Would it be better to hold off on adding the salt as well as S&F until after bulk ferment and then incorporate?
Any thoughts are welcome.
benefit from autolysing especially wet white ones and breads with whole grains in them. A half hour for white and 4 hours for whole grains. If you are autolysing longer than 4 hours that I would do it by placing the dough in the the fridge at the 2 hour mark. if you are using some sprouted grains you can get by with 20 minutes for white and 3 hours for whole grain ones. I know that janetcook likes to do very long autolyses for her whole grain breads which are exceptional.