Sunday Notes: Salt Goes In Last, Always

I got lazy and started mixing salt with the flour and water at the same time. Bread got tighter. Crumb got denser. I blamed the flour, the starter, the weather.

Salt tightens gluten immediately and slows fermentation. Held out for the 30–45 minute autolyse, it lets the flour fully hydrate first. Added with the levain after the rest, everything moves the way the recipe expects.

Ninety seconds of extra work per bake. Massive difference in the crumb.