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.
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 starter we mix from existing sourdough starter the day before we bake our bread.
We like the levain method as it allows you to make sourdough without discard! Simply take a tablespoon of starter from the fridge and mix it with enough flour and water to yield the full amount of starter your recipe requires. Sourdough 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.
Ingredients
Method
Before You Begin
The amount of levain you will need to bake depends on the recipe you are using. For example, our New York-style sourdough bagels recipe calls for 1 cup (200g) of active, bubbly, 100% hydration sourdough starter.
To make sourdough levain for our bagel recipe, measure out 40g sourdough starter. To bring the mixture to the required weight of 200g called for in the recipe, add approximately 80g of fresh water, and 80g of fresh flour for a total of 200g.
Make The Sourdough Leavin
Begin by weighing out the sourdough starter into a large bowl.
Add the flour to the bowl.
Add the water.
Stir the mixture well to combine.
Cover the bowl 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.
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
Recipe
How to Make Sourdough Levain
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.
Ingredients
- 20g sourdough starter
- 40g flour of choice
- 40g 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 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.
Notes
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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 181Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 5g
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator.
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.