For the initial mix, or autolyse, you simply combine the flour and the water until there’s no dry flour remaining. You don’t need to beat the dough; just mix it together.

Then, use your flexible plastic bowl scraper to get the excess dough from your hands back into the bowl. Scrape down the insides of the bowl, making sure all the dough is together and your bowl looks clean along the sides.

Cover your bowl with a clean tea towel to stop the surface of the dough from getting too dry and forming a skin. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes. This is the stage where the gluten starts to develop, which creates a strong dough without you having to put any effort into mixing or kneading.

You get the benefits of autolyse after 20 minutes, but you can leave your dough for up to a couple of hours to give yourself some flexibility. I typically leave my dough for 45 minutes, because that’s how long it takes for my starter to come alive.