Bread - Number 15

Bread - Number 15: The bread that will not be named, discussed or otherwise mentioned ever again.

Total disaster and even had a do over. Not going to recount every step. Tried to do an autolyse. The first try, I left it for 90 minutes, far beyond the 60-minute maximum. The autolyse, consisting of one third bread flour and two thirds whole wheat flour, mixed with all of the water, resembled more than anything else silly putty. It would not allow any mixing or integration of the other ingredients. 

Threw out what could not even be called a dough. It had failed to rise or appear anywhere near an edible substance. 

Second try
On the second try, left the autolyse - same ingredients - for a half hour, but even that seemed too long. (And bread number 14 did fine with a 60-minute waiting period; so who knows.) Only let the dough rise for four hours. Looked fully risen.  Maybe should have stopped at three hours because it looked pretty good then.

In bread making, there is definitely no rule that more of a good thing - or waiting period - is better. Indeed, slight increases can mean disaster.

Despite decent baking time, yada, yada, nothing could save this bread.

It did not rise. The interior appeared pasty, with a couple of cave-like wholes. In terms of effort to cut, let's just say we could have used all those wrestlers who will not be going to the Olympics. Super human strength required to slice a truly terrible bread put this into the garbage after a few bites. At least it did not prove dangerous to eat.

Need a sign or a good bread 
Trying not to sink into a deep depression despite not making a great bread since bread number ten and feeling like a class or perhaps a mentor is needed.