Making bread? Let's destroy the flour
In this post we will look at the technique of making bread with autolysis
Autolysis is a special bread-making technique that harnesses the self-breakdown of gluten proteins and starch molecules. The term comes from the Greek auto = self and lysis = breakdown: the idea is to trigger in the dough a series of biological, chemical and colloidal processes in which enzymes naturally present in the flour (proteases and amylases) help to speed up the formation of the dough and improve its mechanical and organoleptic quality. These processes begin while the dough rests. During this phase the gluten (that is, the protein part of the dough) is modified (lysed, precisely) by the protease enzymes, which are activated by the water in the dough. Proteases drive the reaction known as proteolysis: it breaks the gluten network of the dough into smaller pieces, the resulting protein chains stretch out, and the dough becomes more extensible and more pliable. A second reaction is carried out by the amylase enzymes: thanks to them, the long starch chains are split into simple-sugar molecules (glucose, which feeds the yeast), making more sugars available in the dough, aiding the fermentation of the yeast and thus giving the final product better organoleptic characteristics, such as a more intense flavour and aroma.
Using the autolysis technique therefore brings the final product numerous benefits: the final dough will have a smooth, elastic and pliable consistency, able to absorb larger amounts of water; the bread will gain more volume and its crumb, thanks to the action on the gluten, will turn out beautifully developed and soft; on the starch and yeast side, we will gain in organoleptic terms (flavour and aroma) and in shelf life.
The stages of the dough
An autolysis dough is made in three stages:
- initial mixing of the flour with water;
- dough rest (the autolytic part);
- final dough.
In the first stage the flour and the water (55% of the flour's weight) are mixed in the stand mixer at low speed for 5–8 minutes. At this point the first stage is complete.
In the second stage the dough obtained undergoes the autolytic rest, which can last from 20 minutes, for the weakest flours, to 24 hours for strong ones. Note that if the rest lasts longer than 5–6 hours, it is advisable to add part of the salt (33% of its total weight) to the first mix and reduce the water to 45–50% of the weight. In this case the autolysis dough must be kept well covered at a temperature of 18–20 °C, whereas a short-rest autolysis dough is simply left at room temperature in the mixer bowl.
In the third stage, that of the final dough, the ingredients still missing from the recipe are added: yeast, malt, any remaining water, salt, oil, flavourings and so on. Everything is then kneaded at a higher speed (3–4) for as long as it takes to obtain a smooth, elastic mass.
The final product
To conclude, the autolysis technique yields a final product marked by three distinctive traits:
- a characteristic flavour,
- excellent development
- a longer shelf life
What's more, we cut the mixing times, the dough becomes particularly smooth and easy to work, shaping the loaf is easier, and the final product has greater volume, a better crumb structure and a softer crumb.
