Autolyse

Autolyse is a bread-making technique adored by many artisanal bread bakers, especially the sourdough ones. But, what even is autolyse? Why might you want to use it? And, if you do decide you want to try it, how can your current recipe be modified to include it? All of these things, and more, below.

What Is Autolyse?

The term “autolyse” originates from the Greek roots:

• “auto-“ meaning “self.”
• “-lyse” derived from “lysis”, meaning “to break down” or “to dissolve.”

Literally, the word “autolyse” means something like “self-breakdown.” It describes how starches and proteins in the dough naturally break down on their own during a rest period, without anyone doing anything to it.

In bread-making, to “autolyse” means to mix flour and water together (just flour and water – nothing else) and let it rest for a period of time before adding other ingredients, such as sourdough starter and salt. Bakers have varying opinions on the best length of time to autolyse, some autolysing for just twenty minutes, others a few hours, and still others overnight.

The technique was developed by French baker, professor, and biochemist Raymond Calvel to address the decline in bread quality caused by industrial baking methods. He noticed that fast, aggressive kneading using stand mixers produced bread with poor flavor, texture, and lighter color. To restore traditional French bread’s qualities, Calvel researched dough development and discovered that letting flour and water rest before adding yeast and salt significantly improved dough quality. Calvel introduced the autolyse method in his 1990 book, Le Goût du Pain (The Taste of Bread), which quickly gained popularity among artisan bakers and became a cornerstone in crafting traditional French breads and artisanal loaves. Today, it is widely used in both professional and home baking for its simplicity and ability to improve bread quality.

During autolyse, a few important processes occur: 

1. The flour is fully hydrated. During the rest period, the flour will absorb all of the water (well, depending on how long you autolyse for) that has been added to it. Not only does this make the dough easier to handle (it is far less sticky), it also activates enzymes present in the flour that begin developing gluten naturally.
   • NOTE: Applying this technique to whole grain breads can be very helpful. Whole grains tend to absorb a lot of water, but they struggle to take it in all at once. Autolysing allows an initial portion of water to be absorbed, which hydrates the grains, making them easier to work with. Then, more water can be added to achieve the desired consistency (this is called “bassinage”), which not only helps develop gluten, but also keeps the dough from becoming extremely stiff later in the process.
2. Gluten development is initiated. Just by mixing flour and water, gluten will come together on its own – without you having to do any work. In fact, your dough will go through the whole process of developing gluten and then breaking it down completely (if it’s left for too long) without you having to do anything at all. Without autolyse, baker’s have to knead by hand or by mixer to develop the gluten, which is vital to building dough strength and trapping air. Depending on how long the autolyse is, kneading can be reduced, significantly reduced, or even completely eliminated.
   • NOTE: Many home sourdough bakers do not knead their dough anyway. They mix, and then follow with folds to develop gluten and dough strength. This works for a slow fermentation because the time it takes for gluten to form naturally in relation to the amount of air produced during that time is minimal. However, when using commercial yeast, where up-front kneading is essential (due to the quick fermentation), the transformative powers of autolyse can be incredibly helpful to prevent over-working and over-oxidizing the dough.
3. Enzymes are activated. During autolyse, two enzymes (protease and amylase) begin working. Protease begins breaking down proteins, which makes the dough more extensible (stretchy). This extensibility is necessary to helping the dough expand (imagine having to blow up a rubber tire!). Meanwhile, amylase begins converting starch to sugar, which helps kickstart the fermentation process; as yeast feed on sugars, they release CO2, which is responsible for “blowing up” our bread dough.
   • NOTE: The enzymatic activity that occurs during autolyse is only good to an extent. Eventually, the enzymes will completely break down the flour and begin the process of creating a sourdough starter. The amount of enzymatic activity that occurs during this time depends on the flour (how fresh it is and how many whole grains it contains) as well as the temperature of the water added and the temperature of the room it is allowed to rest in. Warmer temperatures speed up enzymatic activity, while cooler temperatures slow it down.

A Summary Of The Science Of Autolyse

During the autolyse period, the flour absorbs water, which helps it fully hydrate. The proteins in the flour, called glutenin and gliadin, and the starches soak up the water. As the dough rests, glutenin and gliadin start to come together and form gluten on their own. This means we don’t need to knead the dough a lot. 

The gluten network is very important because it traps gas that yeast produces during fermentation. This gas helps the bread rise and gives it a nice texture.

At the same time, two important enzymes, amylase and protease, are activated. Amylase breaks down the starches in the flour into simpler sugars. These sugars are crucial because they feed the yeast while it works, leading to better fermentation and more flavor in the bread. Protease breaks down the proteins in the flour into smaller pieces called peptides and amino acids. This helps soften the dough and makes it easier to stretch, which is important for developing gluten.

A strong gluten network formed during the autolyse period is better at holding the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation. This can help the bread rise higher and have a better crumb structure.

Thanks to the activity of the enzymes and the efficiency of fermentation that happen during autolyse, the flavor and aroma of the bread improve. The enzymes, amylase and protease, help create flavor precursors. These precursors are then used by the yeast during fermentation to enhance the bread’s taste and smell.

Potential Benefits And Drawbacks Of Autolyse

Potential Benefits Of Autolyse

• Gluten develops naturally, which means you don’t have to knead the dough as much. The autolyse method promotes the natural development of gluten without extensive kneading. It, therefore, reduces, significantly reduces, or eliminates the need for kneading altogether, depending on the specific technique used. This is especially important when commercial yeast are used, as the dough ferments much faster than a dough made with wild yeast (sourdough). Autolyse can save time and reduce the risk of over-working or over-oxidizing the dough, both of which can lead to a denser crumb.
• The dough is able to ferment better. Improved gluten means improved ability to retain air from fermentation right from the start, and can mean a stronger dough, depending on the length of the autolyse. The activation of enzymes, namely amylase and protease, break down starches into sugars (helping the bread rise and taste sweet) and proteins into peptides (helping the dough become stronger and giving the bread a better texture), which also result in a better fermentation.

Potential Drawbacks Of Autolyse

Preparation Differences

Autolyse seemingly adds an extra step to the process, which may create a scheduling complexity for some with tight or busy schedules. However, the fact of the matter is, that the process just looks different. The trade-off to autolyse is minimal mixing. The way I see it, you are either mixing your dough for fifteen to twenty minutes to develop the gluten or you are mixing the flour and water, waiting a bit, then adding the rest of the ingredients until just incorporated (two to three minutes). While incorporating the ingredients after flour and water have coagulated can be more difficult, developing gluten by hand can be more difficult as well, just in a different way.

A common practice among self-taught sourdough bakers nowadays is to mix all the ingredients up-front until a shaggy dough forms (no kneading), let it rest, then develop gluten through folds. This is a completely different, and potentially uninformed, mindset around gluten. In fact, I know it very well because (as you can see from the artisanal bread recipes on my blog) I used to use this method. (Don’t worry, the recipes will be updated as soon as I can get to them.) While this method does work, it isn’t the best if you are looking for the highest quality of bread, and it especially is not the best if you’re seeking open crumb. If you want the most aerated loaf possible – a bread that is extremely light, fluffy, airy – then you must trap air. With autolyse, you can gain a gluten network that has the potential to trap air from the start without any work. The only other way to do this is to knead your dough to a windowpane during mixing (which has its own pros and cons). All this to say that, yes, you can skip the autolyse and the extended mixing, but without either of these things you’re lacking necessary gluten that will help the dough trap air and give you a quality fermentation.

Inconsistent Results With Different Flours

Different flours mean different levels enzymatic activity. Enzymatic activity is simply how quickly enzymes in your flour work (remember the amylase and protease mentioned before?). Some flours, particularly fresh flours or whole grain flours, have increased levels of enzymatic activity, meaning they break down faster than other flours and aren’t suitable for the same lengths of autolyse as grocery-store white flours. This means the best time frame for autolyse not only varies depending on your process and preference, but also on what type of flour you use.

Potential For Over-Autolyse

Everything is good in moderation, and it is no different when it comes to autolyse. While autolyse naturally develops gluten, it also breaks it down. If you autolyse for too long, the reverse of all the potential benefits will occur. The dough will lose its structure, become overly extensible, slack, and sticky, and will be difficult to shape and handle. The result? A flat loaf.

Autolyse Versus Fermentolyse

Autolyse

During autolyse, only flour and water are mixed together and allowed to rest for a period of time before other ingredients are added.

Benefits include –

• Hydration: Ensures thorough hydration of the flour.
• Gluten development: Starts the gluten formation process, reducing kneading time.
• Enzyme activity: Activates enzymes that improve dough texture and flavor.
• Improved handling: Makes dough more extensible and less sticky.

Fermentolyse

During fermentolyse, flour, water, and sourdough starter are mixed together and allowed to rest for a period of time before other ingredients, namely salt, are added. This is also known as “fermentation autolyse,” as it combines the aspects of both autolyse and fermentation.

Benefits include –

• Early fermentation: Fermentation begins during the resting period, which can develop more complex flavors.
• Gluten development: Similar to autolyse, but the presence of yeast can slightly accelerate the process.
• Improved dough consistency: Like autolyse, fermentolyse helps in achieving better dough texture and handling.

Key Differences

Ingredients

• Autolyse: Only flour and water are mixed initially.
• Fermentolyse: Flour, water, and sourdough starter are mixed initially.

Fermentation

• Autolyse: Fermentation begins after the initial rest period when sourdough starter is added.
• Fermentolyse: Fermentation starts during the initial rest period.

Choosing Between Autolyse and Fermentolyse

There is one thing to consider regarding the addition of the sourdough starter earlier in the process. Fermentation begins as soon as the starter is added. This means the wild yeast and bacteria from your starter begin working immediately. These microorganisms not only contribute to the breaking down of flour, they also off-put gases that inflate the dough. Without gluten, these initial gases may be lost. The extent to which this affects the dough depends entirely on your process and the state of your sourdough starter.

These two techniques also have different purposes. Autolyse is meant to give a head-start to gluten-development. While this is the main goal, another plus is the extensibility gained from the rest period as proteins begin breaking down. Conversely, fermentolyse is meant to gain a head-start on extensibility. Salt tightens the dough, which just means it creates a balloon with a thicker skin that takes a bit more air to blow up. Salt also slows the ability of the gluten to come together, just like any tightening agent. Therefore, fermentolyse gives a chance for gluten to form and microorganisms to start blowing up the dough before tightening agents that could interfere with this process, like salt, are added.

Both methods can greatly improve bread quality. Some bakers even combine the methods: they first autolyse, then add the starter, letting the dough rest again before adding the salt. The choice depends on what the baker wants to achieve and the specific qualities they are aiming for in their bread.

If Gluten Is Already Developed, Why Do I Still Need To Fold The Dough?

This is an incredibly complex question, but I will attempt to answer it as simply as possible.

There are two types of strength in our dough. One comes from the gluten and the tightening agents (such as salt) that are added to it. This kind of strength is what I like to relate to the rubber on a balloon. If the structure is too weak, it is super thin and stretchy, and will pop easily when air is added to it. If it is too strong, it is really hard to blow up because it cannot stretch well, requiring copious amounts of air to get any sort of expansion. The goal when it comes to gluten strength is to create the right balance for the bread we are making.

The other kind of strength comes from fermentation. Think of your bread dough as a bag full of those rubber balloons. When the balloons are empty, the dough is easily pliable. You can move it or bend it every which way. This is a weak dough. When the balloons are filled to their max, it is hard to manipulate the bag of balloons without popping one, if you can even fold it at all. This is a very strong dough. It is important to have balance here, too, because we have to be able to shape our dough, as well as leave room for expansion in the oven.

What folds do is provide tension. If you’ve ever messed with your dough long enough, you’ll notice that it gets really tight and hard to manipulate, but if you let it rest for fifteen to twenty minutes, it relaxes and you are able to work with it some more. Think of each fold, how the dough stretches less and less each time, until it won’t stretch anymore. Then, you let it rest a bit and you are able to fold the dough again. This is tension. The dough tightens for a bit, gaining structure and strength in the moment, that is soon released as the dough has a chance to relax.

Tension helps the dough as it’s gaining strength from fermentation. It gives a loose dough structure for a moment. When the dough relaxes (begins to look flat and sad in the bowl) it is time to add tension again. Eventually, you won’t need to add tension anymore because fermentation has provided enough strength that the dough will stand firm.

Now, it is possible to have a dough whose gluten is so elastic that it does not need folds. This is usually the case with doughs that are mixed to full development in a stand mixer. However, if you are using autolyse to develop, or begin developing, the gluten, in most cases you will still need to create tension through folds.

Is Autolyse Necessary To Develop Gluten or Extensibility In My Dough?

No. Autolyse is not necessary to develop either of these things. Gluten can be developed through kneading, whether by hand or by mixer, and it develops over time as your dough rests. Extensibility can also be developed in a mixer or over time through the natural fermentation process.

What Kind Of Bread Should Be Autolysed?

Arguably, it is not essential for any bread to be autolysed for a desirable outcome. However, autolyse can be a helpful tool in the sourdough baker’s toolbox.

Autolyse is commonly used for artisanal breads. While the word “artisanal” can be vague and have a variety of interpretations, here it is meant as any bread made by hand, generally consisting of a hydration of at least 70% (because at this hydration, the dough is easier to mix by hand). These breads typically consist of only four ingredients: flour, water, sourdough starter, and salt, though they may sometimes include small amounts of oil, sweetener, or other flavoring ingredients that do not have a significant interference with gluten’s natural ability to come together. Examples of artisanal breads include: country bread baguettes, and focaccia. (NOTE: The recipes linked here do NOT include autolyse.)

It may not a good idea to use autolyse for breads that are very low in hydration. The stiff dough may make other ingredients in the recipe hard to incorporate. Conversely, it may not be a good idea to autolyse doughs with a high percentage of flours that are highly extensible, such as spelt, though I still find myself doing this from time to time. While extensibility is good and necessary, it is also weakness. The enzymatic activity that creates extensibility in most flours may break down an already extensible flour, resulting in over-autolyse (from which there is no return).

Last, I typically do not autolyse highly enriched doughs, such as brioche. This is because the high percentage of enrichments interferes with gluten, so it makes more sense to develop the dough in a stand mixer.

Is A Longer Autolyse Better?

This answer to this is completely a matter of personal preference and depends on your process, the environment, and the type of flour being used. The longer the autolyse, the more the gluten develops and the more extensible the dough becomes. This can be incredibly beneficial in the right conditions.

It is best to perform a longer autolyse in cooler temperatures (below 70 F [21 C]). Warmer temperatures accelerate enzymatic activity, which can lead to over-autolyse if left for too long. Conversely, cooler temperatures slow enzymatic activity, meaning a long autolyse can be done in the refrigerator, if desired. (In this instance, bring the dough back up to room temperature before you add the starter).

A longer autolyse can be magical when using the right flour. For example, a high protein white bread flour, such as King Arthur Bread Flour, would do well with an overnight, twelve-hour, autolyse in cooler temperatures (70 F or below). Meanwhile, flours that are highly extensible (ex – spelt) or contain increased enzymatic activity (ex – rye) may not benefit from a longer autolyse, potentially resulting in a sticky, unmanageable dough.

Altogether, the answer to this is not set in stone. The desired duration of autolyse can vary depending on flour choice, strengthening goals, and even environment. Shorter autolyse periods (fifteen to thirty minutes) can still provide benefits, while longer autolyse periods (up to an hour or more) can further enhance dough properties. However, too long an autolyse can result in a slack dough that is difficult to handle. Experimentation may be required to determine what is best in your own home with the flours and methods you prefer to use.

How To Add Autolyse To Your Favorite Bread Recipe

Adding autolyse to your favorite bread recipe is simple. To demonstrate, let me first walk you through a sample recipe that does not use autolyse.

Original recipe:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Cover and rest 30 to 60 minutes.
2. Over the next 2-3 hours, perform four to six sets of folds, spaced about 30 minutes apart.
3. Let the dough rest until it has doubled in size.
4. Shape the dough.
5. Let the dough rest on the counter 1-3 more hours, or place in the refrigerator overnight.
6. Bake at 450 F in a Dutch oven for 25 minutes with the lid on, 20 minutes with the lid off.
7. Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
8. Enjoy!

To add autolyse to this recipe, we will only change steps one and two.

You will also notice that I changed the order of ingredients in the ingredient list. When mixing the ingredients all at once, it is easier to mix the sourdough starter and water together before adding the flour and salt. When using the autolyse method, flour and water are mixed together and left to rest before sourdough starter and salt are added, thereby changing the order that the ingredients are added to the bowl.

Modified recipe:

1. Mix together flour and water in a mixing bowl. Cover and rest for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. NOTE: It is possible to do an autolyse of up to 12 hours if your flour can handle it. I recommend starting with the shorter time (2 hours or less), then increasing your time as you become experienced and get a feel for your flour. A longer autolyse should be done in cooler temperatures (less than 70 F [21 C]). You can utilize the refrigerator for this process, if desired.
2. After the flour and water have autolysed and formed a windowpane, add the sourdough starter. Work in the starter for five to six minutes, until well incorporated. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. NOTE: It is possible to add sourdough starter and salt at the same time. This is completely personal preference. If you want to add them in the same go, I recommend working in the starter for 2-3 minutes on its own before adding the salt. Then, work in the salt and starter together for the remaining time.
3. After 30 minutes, add the salt. Work in the salt for another three to four minutes. Cover and let the dough rest for 45 minutes. NOTE: At this point, your dough should have a strong windowpane (the dough should be fully extensible). If for some reason it does not, let the dough rest and check it again before the first set of folds. If, at this point, it does not have a windowpane, go ahead and knead for a few minutes more in place of the first fold.
4. Perform three sets of folds, either stretch-and-folds or coil folds. Perform three to four folds in each set, at least one fold in each cardinal direction. You will know you have created enough tension when the dough becomes resistant to being stretched. Cover the dough and rest 45 minutes between each set. NOTE: After the third set of folds, evaluate the dough. If the dough is tense and resistant to stretching early in the folding process, no more folds are needed. If the dough is still stretching a lot and it is taking more than four folds to build tension during a set of folds, continue adding sets of folds, one at a time, until the dough becomes more resistant to being stretched.

After folds are finished, continue with the remainder of the recipe as you normally would.

Is Autolyse The “Open-Crumb” Sourdough Secret?

Autolyse alone is not the “open-crumb” sourdough secret. In other words, simply adding autolyse to the baking timeline is not going to magically open up your crumb. However, autolyse can develop ideal gluten and dough structure when done correctly in compilation with many other variables.

There are two ways to create “open-crumb” in sourdough baking: through a highly extensible dough and through optimal fermentation, when the yeast are able to maximally aerate each balloon (areola) inside your dough. I will not discuss open-crumb in detail here because it is such a complex subject. However, you should know how autolyse affects both of these things.

A highly extensible dough is an underdeveloped dough. Its gluten structure is not elastic enough, therefore when the yeast are rapidly multiplying and releasing CO2 during baking, the flimsy gluten structure expands and creates giant air pockets. Autolyse can help create this kind of extensibility, although the effects of autolyse can be countered by folding the dough too much during fermentation.

A maximally aerated dough, one that has achieved optimal fermentation, gains its open crumb from having the appropriate balance of gluten strength and fermentation. It also requires the right balance of microorganisms in the dough, which comes from the care and maintenance of your starter. Autolyse helps create extensibility that helps the dough ferment and expand. It also provides (or helps provide) the gluten network that holds in air from the very start of fermentation, which can help the dough trap the most air.