Pain au Levain (Sourdough Bread

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 360 grams (12.5 ounces T 80 or all-purpose flour
  • 1 230 grams (8 ounces T 80 or t110 or sifted whole-wheat flour
  • 115 g Flour
  • 12 g Salt

• Prepared

  • 20 g 66%-hydration starter
  • 210 g Starter from the levain build
  • 70 g Starter from the refresher build

• Liquids

  • 485 g Water

Found on chocolateandzucchini.com

Ingredients

• 20 grams (0.8 ounce) 66%-hydration starter (see note)
• 20 grams (0.7 ounce) water
• 30 grams (1 ounce) all-purpose flour
• 70 grams (2.5 ounces) starter from the refresher build
• 55 grams (2 ounces) water
• 85 grams (3 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 360 grams (12.5 ounces) T80 or all-purpose flour
• 210 grams (7.5 ounces) starter from the levain build
• 12 grams (0.4 ounces) salt
• 410 grams (14.5 ounces) water
• 230 grams (8 ounces) T80 or T110 or sifted whole-wheat flour (see post for an explanation of the sifting)

Directions

• 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 dont 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, its ready. If it doesnt spring back at all, its overproofed and should be baked asap; it wont rise in the oven as much as it could have, but youll live.
• At least 30 minutes before the rise is complete -- thats hard to tell of course, but over time youll 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 (MacGuires simile, not mine); work gently to avoid deflating.
• Using a bakers 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.