Sentence:  <WSD>Autolysis</WSD> involves combining only the flour and water and letting them sit for 15– 30 minutes before adding the leavening and salt. According to Calvel, this initial preparation gives the starch and the gluten proteins a chance to absorb as much water as possible without the interference of salt, and allows the gluten chains to shorten more ... 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A two-stage mixing process where water and flour are combined first before adding leavening and salt.