Hi Rusty, there's no need to mix the dough in a stand mixer or bread machine, although this will certainly result in more gluten development early on. The risk with using a machine to mix your dough is that you might get too much gluten development, which can result in a tighter crumb structure in your final loaves. I would suggest mixing the dough with a dough whisk or a plastic scraper in the bowl a little more vigorously until it is fairly smooth. I also think using a smaller pan (either the 7" X 10" pan or the 8" X 8" pan) and being careful to coat both the sides of the pan as well as the bottom with the olive oil can help make that first fold a little less sloppy. Also, dough temperature matters here, since it's important that the fermentation keeps pace with the folds. This is because as the dough develops more airiness, this also provides structure. If you happen to live in a cooler house, consider using the warmer water recommended in the "tips" section of the recipe, and perhaps finding a slightly warmer spot for your dough to rise. I like to use my microwave as a makeshift proof box by boiling some water on the stove and pouring it into a pyrex cup and placing it in my microwave, along side my pan of dough. If need be you can recharge your boiling water after an hour or so. Aim for a dough temperature of about 76F. 

As far as salt goes, our recipes generally assume a finely ground salt, similar to the texture of table salt. This will dissolve a little easier than a coarse salt, but the issue with using a different type of salt also has to do with how you measure it. If you're measuring by weight, it should be the same amount, but when measured by volume, a coarse salt is going to give you a different quantity. I would use whichever salt you have that dissolves the easiest, and measure it by grams. 

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