On 2005-08-25, Mike Avery > wrote:
> Randall Nortman wrote:
[...]
>>No, the starter is mixed into the dough right from the start, before
>>the autolyse step. In fact, I go ahead and put the salt in as well,
>>even though it is generally recommended to do that after autolyse.
>>It's probably better to wait, but I like to shoot for a balance
>>between laziness and perfection.
>>
> By definition, an autolyse has no riser in it. It's just flour and
> water, and the action is self starting (the "auto" part) based on
> enzymes in the flour.
[...]

Ah! *Now* it makes sense! The origin of the term was always
mysterious to me. I was first introduced to it by Nancy Silverton in
"Breads from the La Brea Bakery", which was, quite regrettably, my
primary source of information when I first started experimenting with
sourdough. I say this is regrettable because the book is full of
misinformation, and what little good information is in it is not
presented in a particularly clear or illuminating manner. Her version
of "autolyse" is that all ingredients other than salt (including the
starter) are mixed together and briefly kneaded, then the dough rests,
and then salt is added and kneading is completed. Going back and
reading that section again, I see that she includes this parenthetical
remark: "(Many bakers don't add their sourdough starter until after
the autolyse. I've found that it works pretty much the same either
way.)" Her explanation of the purpose and mechanisms of autolyse is
so worthless that I won't repeat any more of it, but suffice it to say
that I baked for several years after reading it before I even
considered actually trying anything like an autolyse.

This version of autolyse is repeated in another book I recently
acquired, Rose Levy Beranbaum's "The Bread Bible". This is a
significantly better book than Silverton's but it also has quite a few
shortcomings. She does mention that a traditional autolyse calls for
the leavening to be added after the autolyse (without explaining why),
but she "adapted" the process by mixing the leavening in before
autolyse to make it easier for home bakers to ensure even distribution
of the yeast.

Interestingly enough, once I began to understand the role of enzyme
activity in converting sugars to starches, it soon occured to me that
if you want to maximize this effect, you should hydrate the flour and
let it rest before adding any leavening. I dismissed this idea for
the same reason Beranbaum does: it seems like too much of an
inconvenience for a home baker. This is also why I include the salt
from the beginning.

Thanks for the clarification!

--
Randall