Levain "Sourdough Starter" Instructions

Levain Maintenance

Creating a Levain (or “Sourdough Starter”) simply involves mixing flour and water and allowing it to ferment. With time, a culture of microorganisms, including bacteria and wild yeast, will begin to flourish and the levain will need to be refreshed - fed with fresh flour and water - to maintain a healthy culture. By using a flour with sufficient gluten-building protein, the levain will also build some of the strength needed for bread-making. Bread Flour essentially refers to any flour that has sufficient protein content to make bread. Hard White Wheat flour is what we use most in our production at Tabor Bread for this purpose. Hard Red Spring Wheat flour is another great option. Both are available here as whole grain flours and sifted flours.

A healthy levain that is ready for bread-making will predictably grow and exhibit activity: active bubbles on the surface and expansion within its cell structure. The levain you are purchasing is “discard” from our production. This means it has fermented beyond its peak but it still contains a happy culture! It just needs a little attention before using it for bread-making. Keep the discard in your refrigerator until you are ready to begin feeding it and then use the formulas below to refresh it. You will need a thermometer and a digital scale to continue:

Levain, first build	Baker’s %	Grams
Water (~100 degrees F)	90.00%	72
Levain (discard)	60.00%	48
WG Bread Flour	100.00%	80
Total	250.00%	200

 

When selecting a container for your levain, be sure the levain has room to approximately double in size while not using such a large container that it will dry out. Keep the container covered but do not lid too tightly. Allow the levain to sit in a warm area (70-80 degrees F). When it has nearly doubled in size or it has begun to recede, it will be time to feed again. This may be about 4 hours after feeding or longer. Use cooler water, store in a cooler area or move the first build back to your refrigerator after a few hours if you need more time before the next feed.

Levain, second build	Baker’s %	Grams
Water (~100 degrees F)	90.00%	156
Levain (first build)	100.00%	173
Sifted Bread Flour	100.00%	173
Total	290.00%	500

 

Again, allow this build to approximately double in size and watch as it begins to recede. At that point it will be ready for bread-making. Be sure to save a pinch and refrigerate until you would like to bake again.