Pain au Levain (Sourdough Bread)

Pain au Levain (Sourdough Bread) requires approximately 24 hours from start to finish. For 5 cents per serving, this recipe covers 3% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. Watching your figure? This dairy free, lacto ovo vegetarian, and vegan recipe has 57 calories, 2g of protein, and 0g of fat per serving. This recipe serves 24. A couple people really liked this bread. This recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini has 18 fans. If you have sourdough starter, salt, t80, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. All things considered, we decided this recipe deserves a spoonacular score of 50%. This score is good. If you like this recipe, you might also like recipes such as No-knead Pain Au Levain, Chicken and Shallot Jam on Pain au Levain, and Confession #52: Sourdough is my toughest rival… Artisan Bread with a Sourdough Starter.

Servings: 24

Preparation duration: 60 minutes

Cooking duration: 50 minutes

 

Ingredients:

85 grams (3 ounces) all-purpose flour

12 grams (0.4 ounces) salt

20 grams (0.8 ounce) 66%-hydration starter (see note)

70 grams (2.5 ounces) starter from the refresher build

210 grams (7.5 ounces) starter from the levain build

20 grams (0.7 ounce) water

230 grams (8 ounces) T80 or T110 or sifted whole-wheat flour (see post for an explanation of the sifting)

360 grams (12.5 ounces) T80 or all-purpose flour

Equipment:

bowl

wooden spoon

mixing bowl

whisk

dough scraper

kitchen towels

measuring cup

baking sheet

pizza stone

oven mitt

knife

oven

Cooking instruction summary:

Place the 20 grams starter in a bowl. Add the 20 grams water and stir with a wooden spoon until diluted. Add the 30 grams flour and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover and set aside at warm room temperature; optimal temperature is 24.5-26.5°C (76-78°F).Eight hours later: add the 55 grams water to the bowl, and stir until diluted. Add the 85 grams flour and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover and set aside at warm room temperature.Eight hours later: in a large mixing bowl, place the 360 grams flour, the starter from the bowl, the salt, and the water. Using a dough whisk or your hand (James MacGuire recommends "using both stirring and grasping movements" then), stir the ingredients until you get a smooth batter with no lumps.Add the remaining flour and stir it in until entirely absorbed. The dough will be rough. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.Using a flexible dough scraper, fold the dough over itself 8 to 10 times in the bowl, as demonstrated in this video. (If you don't have a suitable scraper, you can use your hand to grab, pull and fold the dough -- this is actually what James MacGuire instructs.) This folding replaces the kneading. Cover and let stand for another 5 minutes.Fold the dough again 8 to 10 times. (It should be about 8:30am now.) Cover and let stand 1 hour.After 1 hour, fold the dough again 8 to 10 times.After 2 hours, fold the dough again 5 to 6 times.After 3 hours, fold the dough again 5 to 6 times.After 4 hours, fold the dough again 5 to 6 times. Notice that the combined folds form a sort of knot at the top of the dough.Have ready a round basket or salad bowl, about 25 cm (10") in diameter. Line it with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and dust it with flour, lightly but evenly.Using the scraper to loosen the dough from the bowl, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface (I use an old silicon baking mat) so that the "knot" faces down. Flip the dough again into the prepared basket so that the "knot" faces up again. Work gently to avoid deflating the dough.Cover and let stand for 1 1/2 to 3 hours, until the dough is well risen. To test whether the dough is ready to bake, poke it gently with your finger to make a 1-cm (1/2") indentation: if it springs right back, it needs more proofing. If it springs back within 2-3 seconds, it's ready. If it doesn't spring back at all, it's overproofed and should be baked asap; it won't rise in the oven as much as it could have, but you'll live.At least 30 minutes before the rise is complete -- that's hard to tell of course, but over time you'll develop a sense of how long your dough needs to rise -- place a baking stone in the lower part of your oven and preheat it to 230°C (450°F).Five minutes before the rise is complete, place a rimmed baking sheet in the lowest rack of the oven, underneath the pizza stone. Bring about 240 ml (1 cup) water to the boil in the kettle.When the rise is complete, lightly dust a pizza peel with flour. Turn the dough out onto the peel as you would a crème caramel (MacGuire's simile, not mine); work gently to avoid deflating.Using a baker's blade or a sharp knife, score the top of the loaf with shallow marks in a tic-tac-toe pattern, or the pattern of your choice. The scores should not be too deep -- just about 5 mm (1/8").Insert the loaf in the oven and onto the preheated stone, working quickly and closing the oven door again as soon as you can to avoid losing too much heat.Reopen the oven door as briefly as possible to pour the boiling water into the rimmed baking sheet: wear long sleeves and an oven mitt, and use a vessel with a pouring spout, such as a measuring jug, so as not to burn yourself. Close the oven door right away.After 25 minutes, rotate the loaf by a half-turn to ensure even baking. Lower the heat to 175°C (350°F).The loaf should be done after 50 minutes of baking; you can leave it in a little longer if you prefer a darker crust.Transfer to a rack and let rest for at least 4, and preferably 6 hours or overnight, before slicing.

 

Step by step:


1. Place the 20 grams starter in a bowl.

2. Add the 20 grams water and stir with a wooden spoon until diluted.

3. Add the 30 grams flour and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover and set aside at warm room temperature; optimal temperature is 24.5-26.5°C (76-78°F).Eight hours later: add the 55 grams water to the bowl, and stir until diluted.

4. Add the 85 grams flour and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover and set aside at warm room temperature.Eight hours later: in a large mixing bowl, place the 360 grams flour, the starter from the bowl, the salt, and the water. Using a dough whisk or your hand (James MacGuire recommends "using both stirring and grasping movements" then), stir the ingredients until you get a smooth batter with no lumps.

5. Add the remaining flour and stir it in until entirely absorbed. The dough will be rough. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.Using a flexible dough scraper, fold the dough over itself 8 to 10 times in the bowl, as demonstrated in this video. (If you don't have a suitable scraper, you can use your hand to grab, pull and fold the dough -- this is actually what James MacGuire instructs.) This folding replaces the kneading. Cover and let stand for another 5 minutes.Fold the dough again 8 to 10 times. (It should be about 8:30am now.) Cover and let stand 1 hour.After 1 hour, fold the dough again 8 to 10 times.After 2 hours, fold the dough again 5 to 6 times.After 3 hours, fold the dough again 5 to 6 times.After 4 hours, fold the dough again 5 to 6 times. Notice that the combined folds form a sort of knot at the top of the dough.Have ready a round basket or salad bowl, about 25 cm (10") in diameter. Line it with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and dust it with flour, lightly but evenly.Using the scraper to loosen the dough from the bowl, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface (I use an old silicon baking mat) so that the "knot" faces down. Flip the dough again into the prepared basket so that the "knot" faces up again. Work gently to avoid deflating the dough.Cover and let stand for 1 1/2 to 3 hours, until the dough is well risen. To test whether the dough is ready to bake, poke it gently with your finger to make a 1-cm (1/2") indentation: if it springs right back, it needs more proofing. If it springs back within 2-3 seconds, it's ready. If it doesn't spring back at all, it's overproofed and should be baked asap; it won't rise in the oven as much as it could have, but you'll live.At least 30 minutes before the rise is complete -- that's hard to tell of course, but over time you'll develop a sense of how long your dough needs to rise -- place a baking stone in the lower part of your oven and preheat it to 230°C (450°F).Five minutes before the rise is complete, place a rimmed baking sheet in the lowest rack of the oven, underneath the pizza stone. Bring about 240 ml (1 cup) water to the boil in the kettle.When the rise is complete, lightly dust a pizza peel with flour. Turn the dough out onto the peel as you would a crème caramel (MacGuire's simile, not mine); work gently to avoid deflating.Using a baker's blade or a sharp knife, score the top of the loaf with shallow marks in a tic-tac-toe pattern, or the pattern of your choice. The scores should not be too deep -- just about 5 mm (1/8").Insert the loaf in the oven and onto the preheated stone, working quickly and closing the oven door again as soon as you can to avoid losing too much heat.Reopen the oven door as briefly as possible to pour the boiling water into the rimmed baking sheet: wear long sleeves and an oven mitt, and use a vessel with a pouring spout, such as a measuring jug, so as not to burn yourself. Close the oven door right away.After 25 minutes, rotate the loaf by a half-turn to ensure even baking. Lower the heat to 175°C (350°F).The loaf should be done after 50 minutes of baking; you can leave it in a little longer if you prefer a darker crust.

6. Transfer to a rack and let rest for at least 4, and preferably 6 hours or overnight, before slicing.


Nutrition Information:

Quickview
56k Calories
1g Protein
0.3g Total Fat
11g Carbs
5% Health Score
Limit These
Calories
56k
3%

Fat
0.3g
0%

  Saturated Fat
0.05g
0%

Carbohydrates
11g
4%

  Sugar
0.05g
0%

Cholesterol
0.0mg
0%

Sodium
183mg
8%

Get Enough Of These
Protein
1g
4%

Manganese
0.41mg
20%

Selenium
7µg
10%

Vitamin B1
0.08mg
5%

Fiber
1g
5%

Phosphorus
37mg
4%

Magnesium
13mg
3%

Vitamin B3
0.68mg
3%

Iron
0.51mg
3%

Folate
10µg
3%

Copper
0.04mg
2%

Vitamin B6
0.04mg
2%

Vitamin B2
0.03mg
2%

Zinc
0.27mg
2%

Potassium
38mg
1%

covered percent of daily need
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Food Trivia

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Food Joke

One thing that has always bugged me, and I'm sure it does most of you, is to sit down at the dinner table only to be interrupted by a phone call from a telemarketer. I decided, on one such occasion, to try to be as irritating as they were to me. The call was from AT&T and it went something like this: Me: Hello AT&T: Hello, this is AT&T... Me: Is this AT&T? AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T... Me: This is AT&T? AT&T: Yes This is AT&T... Me: Is this AT&T? AT&T: YES! This is AT&T, may I speak to Mr. Byron please? Me: May I ask who is calling? AT&T: This is AT&T. Me: OK, hold on. At this point I put the phone down for a solid 5 minutes thinking that, surely, this person would have hung up the phone. I ate my salad. Much to my surprise, when I picked up the receiver, they were still waiting. Me: Hello? AT&T: Is this Mr. Byron? Me: May I ask who is calling please? AT&T: Yes this is AT&T... Me: Is this AT&T? AT&T: Yes this is AT&T... Me: This is AT&T? AT&T: Yes, is this Mr. Byron? Me: Yes, is this AT&T? AT&T: Yes sir. Me: The phone company? AT&T: Yes sir. Me: I thought you said this was AT&T. AT&T: Yes sir, we are a phone company. Me: I already have a phone. AT&T: We aren't selling phones today Mr. Byron. Me: Well whatever it is, I'm really not interested but thanks for calling. When you are not interested in something, I don't think you can express yourself any plainer than by saying "I'm really not interested," but this lady was persistent. AT&T: Mr. Byron, we would like to offer you 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Now, I am sure she meant she was offering a "rate" of 10 cents a minute, but she at no time used the word "rate." I could clearly see that it was time to whip out the trusty old calculator and do a little ciphering. Me: Now, that's 10 cents a minute 24 hours a day? AT&T: Yes sir, that's right! 24 hours a day! Me: 7 days a week? AT&T: That's right. Me: 365 days a year? AT&T: Yes sir. Me: I am definitely interested in that! Wow! That's amazing! AT&T: We think so! Me: That's quite a sum of money! AT&T: Yes sir, it's amazing how it adds up. Me: OK, so will you send me checks weekly, monthly or just one big one at the end of the year for the full $52,560, and if you send an annual check, can I get a cash advance? AT&T: Excuse me? Me: You know, the 10 cents a minute. AT&T: What are you talking about? Me: You said you'd give me 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That comes to $144 per day, $1,008 per week and $52,560 per year. I'm just interested in knowing how you will be making payment. AT&T: Oh no, sir, I didn't mean we'd be paying you. You pay us 10 cents a minute. Me: Wait a minute here! Didn't you say you'd give me 10 cents a minute? Are you sure this is AT&T? AT&T: Well, yes this is AT&T sir but... Me: But nothing, how do you figure that by saying that you'll give me 10 cents a minute that I'll give you 10 cents a minute? Is this some kind of subliminal telemarketing scheme? I've read about things like this in the Enquirer, you know. Don't use your alien brainwashing techniques on me. AT&T: No sir, we are offering 10 cents a minute for... Me: THERE YOU GO AGAIN! Can I speak to a supervisor please! AT&T: Sir, I don't think that is necessary. Me: Sure! You say that now! What happens later? AT&T: What? Me: I insist on speaking to a supervisor! AT&T: Yes Mr. Byron. Please hold. So now AT&T has me on hold and my supper is getting cold. I begin to eat while I'm waiting for a supervisor. After a wait of a few minutes and while I have a mouth full of food: Supervisor: Mr. Byron? Me: Yeth? Supervisor: I understand you are not quite understanding our 10 cents.

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