Hi Ellen, thanks so much for contributing to this discussion about the autolyse method! I think you're right that the flour/water ratio of the starter impacts how easy it is to incorporate the starter after the autolyse. My sourdough starter is quite stiff (50% hydration), and so I find softening it a bit with a small amount of reserved water from the recipe allows it to break down more easily after the autolyse. I do try to keep the temperature of the starter and the autolyse about the same. I doubt that the mixer caused this issue, although adding the softened starter to the dough after the autolyse may be a bit more difficult when using a mixer because everything slides around a lot at first and you have to keep stopping the mixer and folding the dough over the hook to get it to engage properly with the dough. For this reason, hand mixing may indeed be easier and more efficient at this point in the process. Barb

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