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Pain au Levain Naturel

This is a simplified recipe for pain au levain, a white crusty French sourdough bread. The traditional method of making pain au levain is a long seven stage process. It begins with the sourdough starter saved from a previous batch of bread being set aside for 8 hours until it has developed an alcoholic odour. This is called the levain de chef (head-leaven). This is then mixed with flour and water and allowed to ferment another six hours. At this stage it is known as levain de première (first leaven). It is mixed with more flour and water and becomes levain de seconde (second leaven). I

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France

Known as a French recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 7 ingredients

  1. 150 g (½ cup) flour
  2. Water, warmed
  3. 500 g (1 pound) flour
  4. 300 g (1 cup) water
  5. About 1.6 kg (10 cups) flour
  6. 800 g (3¼ cups) water
  7. 20 g (2 tsp) coarse salt (or 1½ tsp table salt)

Possible health benefits

General information, not medical advice.

  1. Flour Source of phosphorus · Source of copper · Source of manganese · +1

    Source of phosphorus · 106 mg per 100 g, 15% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Phosphorus contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Phosphorus contributes to normal function of cell membranes.
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.

    Phosphorus is a mineral contained in each cell in our body. Most phosphorus is in the bones and teeth, and some is in your genes. NIH fact sheet

    Source of copper · 0.2 mg per 100 g, 17% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Copper contributes to maintenance of normal connective tissues.
    • Copper contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Copper contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    5 more authorised claims
    • Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to normal iron transport in the body.
    • Copper contributes to normal skin pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Copper contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Copper is a mineral that you need to stay healthy. Your body uses copper to carry out many important functions, including making energy, connective tissues, and blood vessels. NIH fact sheet

    Source of manganese · 0.6 mg per 100 g, 28% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Manganese contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Manganese contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    • Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Manganese contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Manganese is a mineral that your body needs to stay healthy. Your body uses manganese to make energy and protect your cells from damage. NIH fact sheet

    Source of selenium · 10 µg per 100 g, 19% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal nails.
    3 more authorised claims
    • Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Selenium contributes to the normal thyroid function.
    • Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Selenium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Your thyroid gland needs selenium to produce hormones and function properly. NIH fact sheet

    Nutrients per 100 g of “Flour, 00”, USDA FoodData Central.

Claims: EU Register of health claims (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, © European Union, CC BY 4.0), shown only where the ingredient meets the claim's conditions (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Nutrients: USDA FoodData Central (CC0). Facts: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (public domain).

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Oven and hot trays. Use dry oven gloves for trays and dishes: a hot tray looks just like a cold one. Open the oven door away from your face and let the first rush of heat out.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. Mix the flour with a little warm water to obtain a dough that is neither too wet nor too dry.
  2. Transfer to a covered glass or earthenware container, and let rest at a temperature above 20°C (68°F).
  3. Allow the culture to stand for 3–4 days, stirring daily with a wooden spoon and adding a little warm water and flour each time.
  4. Add flour and water to the yeast culture
  5. Work the dough for 5–10 minutes with a wooden spatula.
  6. Cover with a clean cloth and allow to stand overnight at a temperature of about 25°C (77°F).
  7. If the dough has not risen sufficiently, let stand another 12 hours. When it is ready, save about 3 tablespoons of the dough in the refrigerator as a starter for the next time you make pain au levain.
  8. Mix the flour, water, and salt into the dough. Don’t incorporate all of the flour—save some to knead the dough.
  9. When the dough becomes difficult to manipulate in the bowl, work it on a flat surface, adding a little flour as necessary. Knead the dough well for about 20 minutes by pulling and folding but without pressing down on it.
  10. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to proof for an hour at around 25°C (77°F).
  11. Divide the dough into 3 balls.
  12. Oil three baking pans and insert the balls of dough after shaping them to the size of the pan. They may also be baked without a pan—in this case, set them on a baking sheet.
  13. Cover with a clean cloth, and allow to rise for 2 hours or more at around 25°C (77°F) until the loaves have risen to 1½ to 2 times their original size.
  14. When the loaves have risen, cut diagonal incisions along the length of the loaves with a razor blade.
  15. Preheat the oven and bake at 260°C (500°F) for ½ hour. Lower the heat to 200°C (400°F) and bake for another ¼–½ hour. Two thirds of the way through baking, sprinkle the loaves with cold water and continue baking. This will give a shiny surface.
  16. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Baking tray
  • Mixing bowl
  • Chef's knife
  • Wooden spoon
  • Spatula
Source CC-BY-SA-4.0
Credit

"Pain au Levain Naturel" from the Wikibooks Cookbook (https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Pain_au_Levain_Naturel, revision 4501606), by its contributors (https://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=Cookbook:Pain_au_Levain_Naturel&action=history), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).

Revision 4501606

What was changed: Reformatted by FoodByNation from the wiki page: ingredients and steps extracted, links and templates removed, diet notes detected from the ingredients. This adaptation is also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.