Some questions about using leavening agents in dough

[akonsu]

Hello, I have a few questions about baking soda/potash/etc in dough, that are, perhaps, trivial for these who has experience. I would appreciate any input.

 

I am using a recipe for cookies that I found on the web, and it makes a dough that needs to sit for several days (or even weeks) before baking. So the recipe proposes to make the dough from all the ingredients except for potash (they use potash rather than baking soda or baking powder). Then, after the dough is ready, dissolve potash in a tablespoon of water (or rum), mix it with the dough, and bake.

 

How to effectively mix a small amount of liquid in to a large piece of dough so that the liquid distributes uniformly? Do I cut the dough into small pieces, and mix them with the liquid? Or do I just pour the liquid over the whole piece of dough and knead the dough again?

 

Does it make sense to not add potash right away into the flour in this case (when I need to let the dough rest for a while)?

 

If I do add potash to flour when I prepare dough (instead of adding it later), will potash react with the acids in the dough right away, which will result in the dough losing the carbon dioxide during the resting stage, before it is actually baked? Or is it acceptable to add potash (or any other leavening agent) to flour when I need to let it rest for significant amount of time after that?

 

Thanks for your help.