A Spoon Full of Lovin'

Boule: The French term for the round dough mass-created to be proofed in a banneton. 

Banneton: The round basket made from wicker that has a cloth lining in it.

Batard: The french term of the oblong-shaped dough mass and the same term is used for the oblong basket made from wicker that has a cloth lining in it.

Levain: A leavening agent or bread starter, also known as a “chef” or a “Poolish” which is frequently used in place of yeast to rise dough. Levain is a French term and food historians estimate that it has been in use since the 1600s.

Below are a few valuable things I’ve learned so far:

These are little tips and tricks that I’ve learned that have made sourdough baking about as easy as I could get for my kitchen and my schedule. And these tips are not necessarily in any particular order, just good stuff to know to make your sourdough journey a lot more fun.  If you don’t already have your own sourdough starter, no worries. It’s easy enough to create your own in just a few days. I’ll be adding a recipe to create your own starter very soon that is very simple and easy. 

• Keep in mind that wherever you keep your starter, levain or your dough (unless it’s in the fridge of course) that room should be warm and free of drafts. It’s a good idea to get a small room thermometer.  A good temperature for my geographic area is between 80 degrees and 84 degrees. I live where it is warm and humid and keeping the room between those temps seem to keep it dry and warm enough for the levain to thrive on the microbes in the starter. Same with the dough when it is proofing (or autolyzing). Proofing . . . Autolyzing . . . It’s a matter of sematics. Whether you use the term proofing or autolyzing, you are basically giving your starter, levain or your dough a nice warm, dry place to eat, rest and grow.
• I have found the best two flours to feed your starter/levain with are both made by Bob’s Red Mill. I like the artisan flour and the dark rye flour for feeding.  The dark rye provides a deeper, earthier levain while the artisan flour gives you a lighter, airier texture.
• Always use distilled water whether you are feeding or making dough. This avoids any minerals or chemicals that may be in your city water or well water.
• Leave your starter in a warm place for 8 to 12 hours before you feed it.
• I leave mine out overnight, the same night every week.
• The next morning I start feeding the starter . . . 3x during the course of the day. Usually about 4 to 5 hours between feedings.
• Remember, that once you start feeding your starter, it is no longer a “starter”, but is now a “levain”.
• All of this stuff is in my Basic Sourdough Recipe which is on the Recipes page.

If you have any comments, questions or would like to share your experience in sourdough, I would love to hear from you. 

Thanks for stopping by my site. Stay safe!