My only excuse for not baking Hamelman's Pain au Levain was because I didn't think it could top his Vermont sourdough.    Tried it a few weeks ago, and wow, was I wrong!  

This bake could have gone longer, but I forgot to reset my timer after removing the steam pan and lost track of time.

The garden shot, with trillium, forget-me-nots, and emerging trout lilies, is a bit more colorful than the indoor shot.