Making a Levain

18Jan08

Well, I have officially started making a levain, or a starter for some bread that I am going to make in, um, it looks like somewhere between two and nine days from now, depending of how funky my stuff gets. I recently got the book Local Breads (subtitle, “Sourdough and Whole Grain Recipes from Europe’s Artisan Bakers”) which is by the author of Bread Alone. As the subtitle indicates, most of these breads require some significant planning ahead. That, I can do. What worries me more is babysitting the starter. Anything I am required to tend to daily, or any approximation of daily, is usually not terribly successful.

Anyway, the author assures me that after I get it established I only need to refresh the starter once a week — and that he even successfully used one once that had migrated to the back of his refrigerator for three months. So — the basic ingredients: bit of unbleached flour, bit of rye flour, and water. We’ll see! I did make a very convincing Ciabatta from the book. The method was fascinating — after making a biga, you beat the dough half to death in a KitchenAid mixer until it is glossy — almost like marshmallow whip. It was sticky and strange looking, but came out looking just as it should.

Quick pic of the new shelves at the local grocery. I did a piece on winter salads, and this was the best looking veg I could find in my midwestern town. I love the layout, but if you look closely, some of the vegetables look a little tired.

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Tags: bread, cookbooks, levain, local breads, sourdough