Classic Sourdough Bread (Pain au Levain)

Name: Classic Sourdough Bread (Pain au Levain)
Yield: Makes 1 large round loaf
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¾ cup (3 ¾ ounces) King Arthur, all-purpose flour; ½ cup (4 ounces), water, room temperature (70 degrees); 3 tablespoons (2 ounces) mature, sourdough starter; 1 cup (5 1/2 ounces), whole-wheat flour; 2 cups (10 ounces) King Arthur, all-purpose flour; 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces), water, room temperature (70 degrees); 1 3/4 teaspoons, salt

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated September/October 2016

Desserts or Baked Goods

American

Breads

SERVESMakes 1 large round loaf

TIME2 hours, plus 22½ hours resting and 2 hours cooling

Classic Sourdough Bread (Pain au Levain)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

For a classic sourdough bread recipe, we used a mixture of all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour for complex flavor. Sifting the whole-wheat flour removed excess bran, ensuring a light and airy loaf. For convenience and deep sourdough fla...

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