Making a Levain
This is a simple levain that assumes you already have a healthy starter ready. Please read the linked recipe for starter if you are new to sourdough.
What we are making here is a healthy natural yeast with a minimum of starter that will make your baked goods rise as expected. It will have a nice sour taste in the end result which is partially what you are aiming for with sourdough, but it also will make a more workable dough, as opposed to the Lazy method of making a dough. The ratio of flour for a levain remain the same, no matter what flours you are using. I suggest using the same flour to create your levain as you plan to use in your dough.
The ratio of starter in your levain can vary depending on how your schedule is, which is kind of convenient once you understand that.
I recommend initially following this recipe, but as you get more confident, go ahead and play with ratios. Be aware that the less starter you use, the more time the levain will need to develop to the useable state.
Good luck!
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Need
- 20 Grams Sourdough Starter healthy and active Recipe
- 40 Grams filtered water
- 40 Grams flour of choice
Do
- 1
Measure out the starter, add water into the same jar. Stir to combine, add flour and combine again.
- 2
Cover loosely with a piece of baking paper or similar and keep draft free for 4 hours until it is bubbling and more than doubled. Use as directed in sourdough recipes of choice.
- 3
To make a smaller or larger amount of levain for a recipe that requires a different amount of levain, the ratio is 1 part starter to two parts water and two parts flour.
- 4
To make a levain that will take longer to develop and potentially be more active, you can use the following ratios. 1 part starter; 4 parts water, 4 parts flour. This will increase development time to around 8 hours. This can be quite convenient if you are looking to make a lot more dough, or need to be doing something else rather than worrying about the 4 hour time limit on the quantity in this initial recipe.
Served with
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Tenina Holder is a wife, mother of five and grandmother of eight, who started cooking in the olden days before Thermomix was even a thing.
Tenina has become the premium go to source for all Thermomix expertise and of course fresh and easy recipes that work. Her cooking classes and foodie trips are sold out in literally hours, her cookbooks appear on the Australian best seller lists and her social reach is in the millions. Her Insider Club is the most fun you can have with a Thermomix and you really should join her! She believes chocolate, butter and salt are health foods. Her food positivity mantra is, eat everything, just not all at once!
