PRE-MIXING AND AUTOLYSIS
Everything starts with the mixing of flour and water (called frasage in French), an essential step in the production of bread dough.
Pour the water (or other liquid, depending on the recipe) into the bowl and add the flour. Mix briefly with a wooden spoon to hydrate the entire dough; there should be no dry flour left in the bowl. Cover it with a cloth or plastic wrap, and let it stand for at least 30 minutes. This resting period, called autolysis, will allow the gluten to relax and thus work on the texture of the dough and its toughness, while shortening the amount of time needed for kneading.
Worth Knowing
True autolysis involves only a mixture of water and flour. But in some recipes, the wild yeast starter is diluted ...
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