it makes a huge difference in terms of gluten formation (at least for me). Depending on the recipe I may hold back the levain until after the auto-lyse. I never add the salt until after.
It does make a difference, for me anyway. I find it works well for lower hydration dough, it makes it more extensible.
I only put yeast/starter after the autolyse. I have tried adding salt during the autolyse, in which case it's not a true autolyse anymore, but i didn't notice any difference.
In mixing most sourdough recipes, I mix together all ingredients except the salt and a small amount of salt. I allow those first ingredients to sit for at least 40 minutes. Then I mix in the salt and the small amount of water using the stretch and fold method. Then I allow the resultant dough to rise double, stretching and folding about every hour but only four times.
At the point that the dough has risen up to double, well covered with plastic wrap, I let it sit overnight in the fridge before forming loaves and baking them.
I usually autolyse (or at least let the flour, water and sometimes levain rest) for at least 30 minutes. I'll do more than that for a whole grain dough, and try to do it without the levain or yeast so the flour can fully hydrate. I know some folks advocate for a very long (i.e. overnight) soak of the flour and water but that can be risky with a flour that is either weak or has some malt or active enzyme added to it (as my commercial bread flour does). It might break down too much for that length of time.
For making the dough easier to handle, though, it can be just as beneficial to let the dough (with all the ingredients) rest for at least 20 minutes between bouts of kneading or stretching and folding. It starts to get stronger and silkier when you let it rest for a bit.
it makes a huge difference in terms of gluten formation (at least for me). Depending on the recipe I may hold back the levain until after the auto-lyse. I never add the salt until after.
hester
It does make a difference, for me anyway. I find it works well for lower hydration dough, it makes it more extensible.
I only put yeast/starter after the autolyse. I have tried adding salt during the autolyse, in which case it's not a true autolyse anymore, but i didn't notice any difference.
Ru
In mixing most sourdough recipes, I mix together all ingredients except the salt and a small amount of salt. I allow those first ingredients to sit for at least 40 minutes. Then I mix in the salt and the small amount of water using the stretch and fold method. Then I allow the resultant dough to rise double, stretching and folding about every hour but only four times.
At the point that the dough has risen up to double, well covered with plastic wrap, I let it sit overnight in the fridge before forming loaves and baking them.
I usually autolyse (or at least let the flour, water and sometimes levain rest) for at least 30 minutes. I'll do more than that for a whole grain dough, and try to do it without the levain or yeast so the flour can fully hydrate. I know some folks advocate for a very long (i.e. overnight) soak of the flour and water but that can be risky with a flour that is either weak or has some malt or active enzyme added to it (as my commercial bread flour does). It might break down too much for that length of time.
For making the dough easier to handle, though, it can be just as beneficial to let the dough (with all the ingredients) rest for at least 20 minutes between bouts of kneading or stretching and folding. It starts to get stronger and silkier when you let it rest for a bit.