
Sourdough Pain Au Levain
This style of sourdough bread is what opened my eyes to the aesthetic and transformative side of bread making. It’s biology, chemistry, engineering, pleasure and adventure all at once. The idea such a seemingly simple ingredient as wheat flour could grow into a culinary masterpiece enthralled me. This recipe uses a wild yeast and lactobacillus culture, recipe here, which gives it a chewy, bursting crust and a cool, moist, subtley tangy crumb.
Ingredients
- 23 oz sifted redeemer flour
- 2 cups water, 80-90 degrees in spring and fall, 60-70 degrees in the heat of summer, and up to 110 in the cold of winter
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1.5 cups whole wheat Starter
Instructions
- Mix all four ingredients together. Do not knead your dough – time, folding and acidity will build all the strength it needs. The texture shouldn’t be too stiff and dry, nor too nor wet and slack. The sweet spot is 67% hydration (67 parts water t0 100 parts flour).
- Place your dough in a space that is between 76° and 80°. A heated seedling mat works well. Alternatively, you can turn your oven on for two minutes to create a warm space. Do not let your dough drop below 76° or it will likely be compromised.
- Wait 40 minutes, then fold your dough.
- Repeat step two 2-3 times until your dough has risen to 40-60% of its original volume. You can use a graduated container to measure the rise. It will grow from about one quart of dough to 1.5 quarts.
- Now that your dough has finished its bulk fermentation, it is ready to form into a boule, batard, or other shape of your choice.
- The final rise will take about an hour. After thirty minutes, you can also place the half-proofed bread in the refrigerator, until you are ready to bake, up to 48 hours.
- Preheat your oven for 30 minutes to 450°. Bake until center temperature reaches 200°. After loading the bread, pour about 2-3 oz of water directly onto the bottom of your oven and close the door immediately. This will produce the steam essential for your bread to rise and caramelize properly during the bake.
- If the top isn’t browning as fast as the bottom, move the loaf higher in the oven. If it’s browning too quickly on the bottom, add another sheet pan under it. Turn as needed for even color.
- Cool on a wire rack for several hours.
Storing bread
If you want to put your bread in a sealed container, wait 24 hours to allow excess moisture to dissipate so that it won’t spoil in the sealed environment. It will keep in plastic bag or a bread bin for 36 hours, after that you can transfer it to the fridge for another five days; or, slice and freeze to enjoy for up to three months.