How to Make Sourdough Levain for Sourdough Bread

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.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Method
• Tips & Notes
• Substitutions
• Recipes Using Sourdough Levain
• Recipe

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

Basic Sourdough

Whole Wheat Sourdough

Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough

Sprouted Grain Sourdough

Basic Sourdough Pan Loaf

If you make this recipe, let us know by tagging @baked_theblog + #bakedtheblog on Instagram! We love to feel like we’re in the kitchen with you.