What Is Autolyse, and Is it Needed for Pizza Dough?
What Is Autolyse in Dough Making
m the world of bread making. It involves mixing water and flour only, and allowing them to sit for at least 20 minutes before kneading.
The main goal of autolyse is to maximize water absorption before kneading, resulting in faster gluten development and shorter kneading time. By excluding components such as salt, sugar, or yeast (which all draw water from the flour), the flour is able to fully absorb the water prior to dough mixing.
It is important to note that the primary purpose of autolyse is not to develop gluten, but to allow the flour to fully absorb the water (although some gluten development may occur during autolyse depending on the intensity of the flour and water mixing process).
Originally, the word “autolyse” refers to a biological concept that describes a process (‘autolysis’) in which a living cell breaks itself down (“self-digestion”). In the context of dough making, we are referring to the natural enzymes found in flour (amylase and protease) that break down the flour during the autolyse (and fermentation) process.
The Purpose of Autolyse and Its Effect on Dough
The main purpose of using an autolyse is to reduce kneading/mixing times. This helps prevent the dough from heating up too much or undergoing excessive oxidation during prolonged kneading. But how does an autolyse help with this?
To form gluten, the proteins in flour, glutenin and gliadin, must absorb water. An autolyse allows the flour to fully absorb the water beforehand, facilitating faster gluten development during kneading compared to “normal” kneading, where water absorption occurs gradually during the kneading process.
Another effect of autolyse is related to the enzymatic activity in flour. When water is added, the enzymes in the flour, specifically amylase and protease, become active. The amylase enzymes break down starch into sugars, while the protease enzymes break down the gluten-forming proteins.
Regarding amylase, autolyse may provide the yeast with slightly more available food at the beginning of fermentation; however, the amount of sugars formed during this phase is usually negligible and does not significantly impact fermentation.
As for protease enzymes, a longer autolyse leads to more protein breakdown, resulting in a more extensible dough.
It’s important to note that the term “autolyse” has recently been used more broadly to refer to any stage where the dough rests (e.g., between folds). However, this usage is inaccurate; autolyse is specifically performed before kneading begins, without the presence of salt, yeast, or other ingredients, and serves the specific purpose of reducing kneading time. Any other rest period the dough undergoes is simply referred to as “resting” or fermentation.
How to Do an Autolyse
Begin by mixing all the water and flour required by the recipe in the bowl you’ll use for kneading/mixing. Ensure that everything is thoroughly combined, with no dry flour remaining. Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. After the autolyse period, add the remaining ingredients and continue with the kneading process as usual.
Is Autolyse Necessary When Making Pizza Dough?
Generally, an autolyse is not essential for pizza dough.
However, if you want to reduce kneading time, especially when using a mixer, an autolyse can be beneficial. Keep in mind that unless you perform a long autolyse lasting several hours, which might produce a more extensible dough (due to the activity of protease enzymes), a short autolyse will have no impact on the final product.
If you are kneading by hand, autolyse is not recommended (and also not necessary/beneficial), as it can make it difficult to properly incorporate the other dough ingredients (specifically yeast and salt) into the autolyzed water/flour mixture.