Pain au Levain

 

PAIN AU LEVAIN (Rustic European Breads):

 

Chewy texture, crisp crust

Will keep well – 4 or 5 days

 

Sponge:

½ cup spring water

1 ¼ organic bread flour

¾ cup any sourdough starter, at room temperature

 

Dough:

1 cup warm organic water

1 tsp. salt

3 cups organic bread flour

1 tsp. yeast

1 egg white whisked with 2 tbs water for glaze

 

Make the sponge on the dough setting, cover with an air-tight seal and let ferment at room temperature for 6-12 hours.

 

Add the bread ingredience except egg wash to the pan, process again on the dough setting.

Once the second cycle is complete, you’ll have a wet, soft dough. Remore it on a floured surface. Cut off 1 cup of dough, place it in a jar, cover and refrigerate for a Pain au Levain that you might make tomorrow or during the next week or so. If you want to heighten the sour taste, place the starter in a cool place but not the fridge.

 

Divide the remaining dough in two pieces and form it into baguettes, a round loaf, or torpedo shapes. Place the shaped dough in a banneton to rise, or, if you’ve made torpedoes or baguettes, place on parchment paper. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

 

Preheat the oven with a stone on the middle rack to 450 F for about 30 min. Just before baking, roll the loaves from the banneton onto cornmeal-dusted peel. Slash the loaves diagonally 3 or 4 times. Glaze them with the egg white wash. Then quickly put them in the oven. Spritz the oven 4 or 5 times with plain water during the first 10 min of baking. Bake until done – about 30 min for round loaves and torpedoes, 20 min for baguettes.

 

The crust will be a lovely caramel color.