![]() ![]() You will see tiny bubbles on the surface, and you might notice a slight musty smell. ![]() The chef should have almost doubled in volume. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, cover tightly with lid and let stand in a moderate (about 70 degree) place for 24 hours. The exact consistency of the dough will vary with the brand of flour or water at this point to adjust the texture. This recipe yields 18 ounces of levain.ģ/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4 ounces) 20 percent bran wheat flourĬombine the flour and water in a tall 2 to 3-quart clear plastic container with a lid. Do not let the levain stand for longer than 10 hours, or the yeast will become exhausted and not raise the final dough. The texture will be somewhat light, with many tiny bubbles throughout. The levain should have doubled in volume. Scrape down the sides, cover tightly, and let stand in a cool to moderate (about 70 degrees) draft-free place for 8 to 10 hours. This firm texture is important for ripening levain, because a dense rather than loose levain creates delicious sour bread without an overpowering tangy bite. This will form a stiff consistency more like a stiff dough than a batter. Stir vigorously to add fresh oxygen to the mixture. Cool completely on a wire rack.Īdd the flour directly into the container with the full batch of room-temperature, batterlike ripe chef. If it doesn't sound hollow, bake 5 minutes longer. If the sound is hollow, the bread is done. Strike the bottom firmly with your finger. To test the loaf for doneness, remove and hold the loaf upside down. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and continue baking until deep golden in color and the crust is firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Bake until the loaf begins to color, about 20 minutes. Spray again in the same way, closing the door immediately so that steam doesn't escape. Quickly close the door to trap the steam and bake 3 minutes. Spray for several seconds until steam has filled the oven. If there's an electric light bulb in the oven, avoid spraying it directly?it may burst. ![]() Quickly spray the inner walls and floor of the oven with cold water from a spritzer bottle. Using the peel, slide the loaf onto the hearth. Using a very sharp, serrated knife or a single-edged razor blade, score the loaf by making quick shallow cuts 1/4 to 1/2-inch deep along the surface. Using the couche as an aid, gently roll the loaf from the couche onto a lightly floured peel so that it sits seam side down. If it is in the lower 1/3 of the oven the bottom of the breads may burn, and if it is in the upper 1/3, the top crusts may burn. The oven rack must be in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven and baking stone to 450 degrees, 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking. After 4 hours there will be a pronounced difference between the dough you set in the couche and the final light dough. This dough gets softer, lighter, and very delicate as it proofs-more so than any other dough in this book. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degrees F) draft-free place until almost doubled in volume, or until a slight indentation remains when the dough is pressed with a fingertip. Place the loaf seam side up in a well-floured couche*. Shape into an oblong loaf about 14 inches long. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degree) draft-free place for 30 minutes.įlatten the ball with the heel of your hand on a lightly floured work surface into a disk. Shape into a tight ball and place on a lightly floured board. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. It won't rise to a puffy state.ĭeflate the dough by pushing down in the center and pulling up on the sides. This dough will not behave like an ordinary yeasted bread dough. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degrees F) draft-free place until increased in volume about 1/4 to 1/2. Take the dough's temperature, the ideal is 78 degrees. Place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat with oil. Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest on a lightly floured surface while you scrape, clean, and lightly oil the large bowl. The dough is ready when a little dough pulled from the mass springs back quickly. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding remaining flour when needed, until dough is firm and smooth, 15 to 17 minutes total. Add the salt and just enough of the remaining flour to make a thick mass that is difficult to stir. Add 1 cup (5 ounces) of the flour and stir until well combined. Continue stirring until the levain is partially dissolved and the mixture is slightly frothy. Break up the levain well with a wooden spoon or squeeze through your fingers until it is broken up. Combine the levain and water in a 6-quart bowl. Measure the ingredients and calculate the temperatures. ![]()
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