Salt: when and how?

I'm trying to understand when and how to add salt.

The short version of the story is I took a recipe from BreadWerx and modified it. (It worked for me at 65% but when I went to 67.5% it wasn't doing so well.) I changed from adding the salt in with the flour and having it sit overnight before adding starter to where I did a 2 hour autolyze, add the starter, work in the salt, and do everything after that the same. The difference in the dough was amazing.

For the bulk rise I did 3 folds in both cases over 6 hours apart. Where I added the salt later, the dough at the last fold was much firmer. I got one fold and most of a second whereas the other dough never got stiffer. The dough with salt added later was easier to handle when forming. The dough rose more. The resulting crumb was more open. All in all it just looked more like what I see in all the videos.

Does this make sense? Also, how should I add the salt? I sort of pushed the dough out flat, sprinkled some salt on, rolled it up and worked it for a bit, let it sit, and then repeated. It took a good half hour to work it all in. As soon as the salt hits the dough it sucks out water and creates sheets of firm dough. The result is the dough takes time to work back together. I'm wondering if this doesn't create most of the structure. I could see it and feel it.

Is there an easier way to add the salt? Should I do it before or after I add the starter? I read that autolyze over 2 hours is detrimental to the dough (too much destruction of the bonds?) but I wonder if overnight in the fridge would work.

The great thing about all this tinkering is the results always taste good and there are plenty of people that are eating my bread. I get 2 or 3 slices and then have to make another loaf.