I’m inclined to try refrigerating my dough after mixing in the starter to prevent acids from the yeast interfering with the autolysis. But cold usually slows chemical processes too, so this may be counterproductive.
I’m trying to max out the autolysis of the dough, so I don’t need to knead much. Anything more than 3 minutes of kneading feels like too much work.
Adam Ragusea talks about autolysis in this video – he seems to be of the opinion that acid from fermentation is not a factor: https://youtu.be/orpTeX_EGXA?si=n0OxksbbUynUFhJO&t=770
Pictured: My most recent loaf of sourdough. I like the crust, but I did not get enough oven spring.
I do zero kneading. Mix flour and water, rest 30m. Mix in starter, rest 30. Fold, turn 1/4, repeat 3x more times, rest 30. Repeat folks and rest twice, maybe more. Love dough, bulk ferment 3-6 hours. Punch, shape, ferment 2-3 hours. Stash in fridge. Next day, ferment more until happy. Score, bake.
No kneading. Fold and wait will do a lot for you.