Hi Muna! Thanks for the great questions! A liquid starter (100% hydration or more) needs to be included in the autolyse because without the significant amount of liquid contained in this type of starter it would be impossible to adequately hydrate the flour during the autolyse. Typically a recipe that includes the starter in the autolyse won't call for an excessively long autolyse, and overall fermentation time won't change very much. If I add the starter along with the autolyse, I do try to keep in mind that fermentation has begun at that point. This recipe for Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Loaf does call for a 2 hour autolyse to improve the extensibility of the dough, but the resulting loaf is not meant to have an open crumb, but rather a moist, dense crumb suitable for sandwiches. I wouldn't say that all 100% sourdough whole wheat recipes require a 2 hour autolyse; a shorter autolyse might be long enough to impart the same benefits. I rarely worry about achieving a window pane test, especially when working with whole wheat flour, since it is a little more challenged in this regard. Try kneading to a point where the dough feels soft and supple and relatively smooth. If you tug on the dough or hang it in the air, it should hold together well. You don't need to use a mixer to achieve this level of strength. I used a mixer for my tests simply for consistency's sake. Barb

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