A Feel for High Hydration Bread
I tried to make the overnight white loaf from FWSY (78% hydration) and ended up with a totally slack and sticky dough. Admittedly I made a small modification by doing it overnight in the fridge then at 75ish average during day so it would be ready for afternoon/evening bake.
The problem started with the folds during bulk fermentation. I did one an hour after combining and the dough didn't really hold shape at all. An hour later I used the slap and fold technique. After a few go's at that it got pretty elastic and could somewhat hold shape, however, I wanted a bit more tightness. It was getting late so I dumped it back in the tub for bulk fermentation and hoped for the best. Could overkneading have made the dough go sticky?
I think I did that with a challah once, but then I just kept kneading and kneading and it became nice and smooth. Pretty much everyone says it's impossible to overknead a challah by hand though.
I think my next mistake was too much bulk fermentation. It got to a decent expansion and a few bubbles on the surface some time around noon but it was still very slack so I let it ferment longer. It didn't jiggle, it sloshed. It didn't resist tugging with a wet hand much. Again, I eventually just gave up and put it in proofing baskets since I needed it to get ready. Can bulk fermentation improve the elasticity of a dough or does it need to be kneaded enough before bulk fermentation in order to develop structure?
TL:DR
Are high hydration breads just always going to be a bit slack? Or should they get to a decent elasticity and smoothness?
Also, do high hydration breads always need a light touch with the kneading? Or can enough kneading eventually get them elastic?