uma896•2mo ago

Always thought quick mixes made the best bread dough

After a sticky mess, I tried letting just flour and water sit for a bit. Now my dough handles way easier and bakes up nicer.

3 comments

3 Comments

sethc812mo ago

Yeah, that resting period (called autolyse) develops gluten before you even knead.

barnes.kai2mo ago

My first try with autolyse was a big mess. I let the dough sit out for an hour, but I didn't cover it up. I was so caught up in the fancy term that I forgot the basic step. The gluten did develop, but the dough was too dry to knead properly. What's your go-to time for autolyse?

olivia_anderson672mo ago

My first autolyse I forgot to cover it too, ended up with a dough skin like leather. I usually stick to 30 minutes for most recipes, that seems to be the sweet spot. Any longer and I start running into the same drying out problem you had.