Quintessential French Sourdough - Pain Au Levain [Leader]
[First Post!]
When I first attempt a new bread, I don't know what to expect. Much like a piece of art, I have an end goal in mind, but by the time I am to the "perfecting" stage, it could be mistaken for a completely different project from which it began.
Pain au levain. Universal, complex, subtle.
This bread was going to be a hearty boule that would always be around, yet never the center of attention. Now it is the bread that I most likely reach for. Ripped off heel? holding a tandem of goat cheese and bartlett pear? Squeezing a scoop of tuna salad? Gripping a banana dolloped with peanut butter?
Yes. Every time. All the time.
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My proportions are taken from Daniel Leader's "Quintessential French Sourdough" and the method is partially borrowed from pain l'ancienne.
Stiff Dough Starter Refresh:
- 45g Old starter
- 50g Water
- 95g All purpose flour
- 5g whole wheat
Dough:
- 62.5g stiff dough levain
- 175 all purpose flour
- 60g whole wheat flour
- 15g rye flour
- 175g water
- 5g salt
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Method:
- Autolyse 20-30 minutes
- Knead for 20 minutes, in three intervals, with 5 minutes in between to let the dough relax
- Primary ferment for 2.5 hrs at 70F, with stretch & folds at 15 min, 30 min, 45 min and 60 min
- Dust a piece of plastic wrap, place in banneton
- Shape dough, place in banneton, and wrap plastic over the dough
- Place in fridge for 24 hrs
- Proof for 45 minutes out of fridge
- Score
- Bake, covered (ceramic dutch oven) for 20 minutes at 500F
- Oncover, lower oven temp to 425F, bake until tapped hollow
Here are a couple of attempts:
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]