autolyse

Hello Olivier,

I have never done a side by side trial but I have done both methods as well as no autolyse at all, all using the same recipe and I could not honestly say that I detected any difference in either the texture, timing or taste of the loaf.

Not very scientific I would have to say - but who said bread making was scientific anyway.

Keep on bakin'

Farinam

I think one difference in the technique is dictated the hydration of the levain.  One must generally add the levain in the initial mix (pre-autolyse) if it is a liquid levain, because there would not otherwise be enough water to fully hydrate the flour.  With a stiff levain, sufficiant water is in the initial mix to hydrate the flour, so the levain can be held until after the autolyse.  I don't know that either way effects the final bread in a huge way (aside from the inherent differences in the levain types, obviously).

A stiff levain needs to be mixed with water so that it can be distributed evenly through the dough.

So the levain must be added at the start, before autolysis?

John