Hey guys,
This is my first time posting here, and it coincides with my first time attempting to use autolyse.
I'm using the KAF country loaf recipe (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/french-style-country-bread-recipe). Last night I started the preferment, and today I decided I wanted to try to autolyse the rest of the ingredients that I needed to add to the recipe.
After the 30 minute autolyse, I mixed in the preferment and attempted to work most of it in by hand before allowing to rest and beginning the stretch and fold process.
I just finished stretch and fold #3, but I'm noticing that there are still thick lumps from the original autolyse dough mixture. Will these loosen up and incorporate over the next few hours?
Any help you'll be appreciated. If you need any more information, or if I'm not being clear enough, let me know.
Thanks in advance for the help, and i apologize if this has been answered elsewhere.
If not then it'll be lumpy. You don't wish to overwork the dough at this stage but you don't want to leave any dry bits of dough.
It's not clear but I think you autolysed everything except the salt. If you're doing it this way then first make sure the levain is fully broken up in the water and dispersed. Mix the flours in a bowl then pour the water/levain mix into the flour and combine well.
Let me preface this by saying that this is the first time trying the stretch and fold method along with using autolyse. I've only ever used a stand mixer. Anyways, I made the poolish last night. This morning I mixed the rest of the water and flour until i felt like it was incorporated...although thinking back i think it wasn't mixed enough. I then mixed in the poolish and additional yeast until it was mostly together, but thats where i noticed the fairly large lumps. I didn't want to overwork the dough, so I figured i would just let it rest and that the stretch and folds would take care of it. Ill take this as part of the learning process though.
I've been looking through tfl for the past few hours and came across this thread (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/37547/mixing-water-and-flour-and-not-getting-lumps). The first response linked a Julia Child video detailing frisage. I have a feeling like I may not have mixed the autolyse correctly.
So I have read through the recipe and your comments and here is what I think now...
You have incorporated an autolyse for a recipe that doesn't ask for one. You didn't include the poolish until after the autolyse. Correctly so! However because this recipe hasn't been designed for an autolyse there really isn't enough water left over, after the poolish, to incorporate one. And even if you do manage to get the autolyse done it'll be tough to incorporate everything into the final dough and this may have not been done properly.
I think what you lose by not being able to do an autolyse you have gained by having a poolish.
Have you tried doing the recipe as it is?
Thats definitely it. I tried to incorporate the autolyse into the recipe, and had no idea that a recipe that calls for it is formulated specifically for that.
I ended up throwing away what i was working on this morning, and will attempt it again tomorrow as is.
Thanks for your help.
to include an autolyse even if it wasn't specifically made for one as long as there is enough water leftover, after the Pre-Ferment, to include one. If not then it's not all bad as the Pre-Ferment gives the bread better quality anyway.
I look forward to your results. Let me know how it goes.