Sourdough levain is a great way to limit the amount of discard you throw away! It’s made from sourdough starter you keep in the fridge.
photography by Sophie MacKenzie
The word levain comes from the French word “to rise”. It refers to the natural live cultures used to produce sourdough bread. Some people use the word “starter” interchangeably with the word levain; The term “mother” is also used. Here at Baked, we use the term levain to mean the fresh active starter we mix from existing sourdough starter the day before we bake loaves like this cinnamon raisin sourdough or this sourdough olive bread.
We like the levain method as it allows you to make sourdough without discard! Simply take a tablespoon of cold starter from the fridge and mix it with enough flour and water to yield the full amount of starter your recipe requires. The important thing to note is you have to make levain the night before you start your recipe. Making levain is a simple process that ensures you have an active and well fed culture before you start a loaf.
If you are new to sourdough baking, check out this post called How To Make Sourdough Starter From Scratch. It includes step-by-step directions to get started, as well as a glossary of terminology.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Recommended Tools
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Tea towel
- Digital kitchen scale
Ingredients
- Sourdough Starter—The leavin method is a way to revive a small amount of starter that’s been kept in the fridge for an undetermined amount of time. We keep our starters in the fridge without touching them sometimes for months! When your jar gets low, simply bring it out to room temperature for a few days. Feed it regularly to activate and replenish, then return the jar to the fridge.
- Water—Water should be room temperature to slightly warm.
- Flour—All-purpose flour or strong bread flour are good, however you can also use alternative flours like whole wheat or rye.
Keep scrolling to see clear and detailed process shots, as well as tips and notes to help you make Sourdough Levain perfectly the first time!
Method
Before You Begin
The amount of levain you need depends on the recipe you choose. For example, our New York-style sourdough bagels recipe calls for 1 cup (200g) of active, bubbly, 100% hydration sourdough starter.
And so, to make sourdough levain for our bagel recipe, measure out 40g sourdough starter. To bring the mixture to the recipe’s required weight of 200g, add 80g of fresh water and 80g of fresh flour for a total of 200g.
Method
TOP TIPS
1. Leave yourself plenty of time. Levain needs at least 8 hours to activate so make it the night before you plan to start your recipe!
2. Use a scale. Baking sourdough is a precise process and requires a scale. Even a few grams can make a difference! Digital kitchen scales are widely available and quite affordable.
3. Make a bit extra. If your recipe calls for 200g of active sourdough starter, give yourself a little leeway and make a small amount of extra levain (maybe 10 grams) to be safe. Sometimes things get spilled or you’ll lose a bit on your finger while scraping sticky dough from the wooden spoon.
Tips & Notes
- Make sourdough levain the night before you want to start your sourdough recipe. It’s best to do it just before bed so it is ready the next day.
- You can leave your levain longer than 12 hours so long as it is still active and bubbly. How long it will last depends on the ambient temperature of your home. Visit this post called Troubleshooting Sourdough Bread for more information on ambient temperature.
Substitutions
- You can use any flour to make sourdough levain! You can also use a different flour from your starter.
Recipes Using Sourdough Levain
Basic Sourdough
Whole Wheat Sourdough
Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread
Sprouted Grain Sourdough
Basic Sourdough Pan Loaf
Recipe
How to Make Sourdough Levain
Description
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Tea towel
- Digital kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 20 grams sourdough starter
- 40 grams flour of choice
- 40 grams water
Instructions
- Begin by weighing out the sourdough starter into a large bowl.
- Add the water and flour to the bowl. Stir the mixture well to combine.
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the sourdough levain sit at room temperature for 8 hours, and up to overnight.
- The next day the levain should be airy and doubled in size. This means it is ready to use. Proceed with your chosen recipe.
Sinead says
Should I replace the 20g I take from my sourdough mother?
Sophie Mackenzie says
No need to replace what you take. When you are left with just a tbsp of mother sourdough you can feed it 50-100grams water and flour (depending on how much you use it), let it sit on the counter overnight and then pop it in the fridge and continue to take from it until you are once again left with a little bit.
John A Sweeney says
So do you not need to do weekly feedings of the mother?
Sophie Mackenzie says
nope, so long as you feel it once every couple of weeks it should be fine. Sometimes I have gone a couple of months without feeding it as it’s fine, just a little hungry :)
Yehudit : ) says
Once the lavain starts to sink a bit after several hours, and it’s full of bubbles, can I store it overnight in the refrigerator, Or is it best to use it right away?
Alexandra Daum says
It needs to be used once it’s active, bubbly and risen, and can’t be used to bake a loaf after being refrigerated.
Louann says
I’m new-ish to sourdough and SOOOO glad I found your site! You have so much great information here. When I “refresh” my mother starter, after bringing to room temp and feeding it a few times, do I put it back into the fridge right after a feeding OR after 8 hrs of feeding while it’s still active?
Alexandra Daum says
So glad you find it helpful! You should refrigerate once the starter peaks, so usually after around 8 hours.