Pains au levain
These are loaves made from sourdough and nothing else as leavening agent. They demand attention and take some time. Once they’re done, it all pays off. The addition of semolina was my quick idea to create bread with an extra bite to it and which I associate with American sourdough baking. Watch your teeth.
Pains au levain
Levain:
- 80g flour, Type 550
- 80 water
- 1 tsp chef, hydration: 100%, i.e. wheat sourdough starter
Combine ingredients for the levain and let stand for 12-18 hours at room temperature, 21°C.
Dough:
- Levain
- 320g flour, Type 1050
- 50g semolina
- 235g water
- 8 salt
Autloyse: Add flour, semolina and water to the levain and mix to a shaggy mass. Let rest for 20 minutes. Add the salt and mix on seconds speed for about 3 minutes. Finish kneading by hand until you have a smooth dough.
Bulk Fermentation: 3 hours. Fold 3 times, i.e. in 45-minute intervals.
Cut the dough in half, loosely shape into rounds and let rest for 10 minutes to give the dough time to relax.
Shape into baguettes, bâtons or boules. Score with the desired pattern.
Final Fermentation: 2.5 hours.
Bake at 240°C for 20 minutes, finish the bake at 220°C for additional 10-15 minutes.
You bake beautiful breads and I love the name of your blog too!
Bakinghistory
7 August 2007 at 03:08
@Bakinghistory: Thank you and Grazie, Bakinghistory. The Challah on your blog pages looks amazing.
theinversecook
7 August 2007 at 13:43
Grazie!
I added you to my blogroll
bakinghistory
7 August 2007 at 18:51
Oh those look good !
If I were to make them, they would be flat,like bread pancakes, and the holes would be tiny, like a slice of Wonderbread.
robert bolske
15 August 2007 at 09:50
@ robert bolske: Thanks a lot. I have baked many bread tortillas until they started to keep their shape. Maybe my shaping skills improved.
theinversecook
15 August 2007 at 12:03
May I ask, how have you set up your oven ?
robert bolske
18 August 2007 at 09:40
@robert: I put some unglazed (I hope) tiles on the second position from the bottom. They are about 1cm thick and heat up rather fast. They also seem to be able to radiate heat quickly. Smaller loaves sometimes have have burn marks on the bottom. I am going to replace the tiles with something better, because they also break easily. I’ve always tried to avoid having a huge baking stone that does not heat up within 30 minutes (which is the case with my thin tiles).
Regards,
Nils
theinversecook
18 August 2007 at 13:10
Sorry for my english: what does chef mean (1 tsp chef)? Thanks!
Barbara
12 March 2008 at 14:22
I think “chef” is a French baking term for sourdough starter. In this case a wheat sourdough. I don’t know why I used the term here. Thanks for the question, Barbara.
theinversecook
12 March 2008 at 14:58
Beautful loaves and wonderful crumb!!
elisfoods
21 November 2008 at 21:38