My personal favorite pain au levain

Ingredients

Directions

Mix and knead the final dough: Measure the ingredients. Combine the levain and water in 6-quart bowl. Break up the levain well with a wooden spoon or squeeze through your fingers until it is broken up. Continue stirring until the levain is partially dissolved and the mixture is slightly frothy. Add 1 cup (5 ounces) of the flour and stir until well combined. Add the salt and just enough of the remaining flour to make a thick mass that is difficult to stir. 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. The dough is ready when a little dough pulled from the mass springs back quickly.

Ferment the dough: 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.

Place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat with oil. Take the dough's temperature: the ideal is 78 degrees. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degrees) draft-free place until increased in volume about one-quarter to one-half.

Divide the dough and rest: Deflate the dough by pushing down in the center and pulling up on the sides. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Shape into a tight ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes.

Shape the loaf: Flatten the ball into a disk with the heel of your hand on a floured work surface. Shape into an oblong loaf about 14 inches long.

Proof the loaf: Place the loaf seam side up in a well-floured couche. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in volume, or until a slight indentation remains when the dough is pressed with a fingertip. This dough gets softer, lighter and very delicate as it proofs. After 4 hours there will be a pronounced difference between the dough you set in the couche and the final light dough.

Bake the loaf: 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking, preheat the oven and homemade hearth or baking stone on the center rack of the oven to 450 degrees. The oven rack must be in the center of the oven. Gently roll the loaf onto a lightly floured peel, seam side down. Score the loaf with a sharp razor blade or serrated knife making quick shallow cuts. Slide the loaf onto the hearth. Quickly spray the inner walls and floor of the oven with cold water until steam has filled the oven. Quickly close the door to trap the steam and bake 3 minutes. Spray again, closing the door quickly so that the steam doesn't escape. Bake until the loaf begins to color, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue baking until deep golden in color and the crust is firm, 20 to 25 minutes.

To test the loaf for doneness, remove and hold the loaf upside down. Strike the bottom firmly with your finger. If the sound is hollow, the bread is done. If not, bake 5 minutes longer. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: 1 large 14-inch loaf, about 3½ pounds Converted by MC_Buster.

Recipe by: COOKING LIVE SHOW #CL9294 Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.