Many bread recipes call for a rest period after adding water to the flour but before kneading. This rest is called “autolysis.” The most common explanation for the autolysis process is simply that it allows time for the flour to hydrate and rest, making the dough easier to manipulate later on. But the word “autolysis” technically refers to the destruction of cells or proteins through enzymatic action. We took a closer look at what really happens to the dough during the process.

The ultimate goal of making bread dough is to create gluten, a strong network of cross-linked proteins that traps air bubbles and stretches as the dough bakes, creating the bubbly, chewy crumb structure that is the signature of any good loaf. In order to form these cross links, the proteins in the flour need to be aligned next to each other. Imagine the proteins as bundled-up balls of yarn you are trying to tie together into one longer piece, which you’ll then sew together into a wider sheet. In their balled-up state, it’s not possible to tie them together; first you have to untangle and straighten them out. This straightening out and aligning is usually accomplished by kneading.

But untangling and stretching out short pieces of yarn is much easier than untangling entire balls. This is where autolysis comes in. As the dough autolyzes, enzymes naturally present in wheat act like scissors, cutting the balled-up proteins into smaller segments that are easier to straighten during kneading. This is why dough that has undergone autolysis requires much less kneading than freshly made dough. And here’s where the hydration level comes in: The more water there is, the more efficiently the cut-and-link process takes place.