Tartine Levain

 Introduction

I was browsing through the Tartine Bread book by Chad Robertson a while back and saw that his main technique involves high hydration dough, sourdough starter and occasional stretch and folds to make beautiful naturally leavened loaves. This seemed like a good transition from my typical yeasted no-knead recipe to a naturally leavened variation so I figured I'd try a loaf based on his technique.

Materials & Methods 

AP Flour WW Flour Water Starter Salt

Mass 400g 50g 350g 100g 10g

Percentage 89% 11% 78% 22% 2%

• You are not supposed to knead this… it is too wet. Just fold periodically during fermentation. This means reaching down into the dough bowl and pulling up a handful to fold over the ball. Turn and repeat 3-4x to cover evenly. This is one fold. 


• Use wet hands when folding to avoid sticking

Timeline:

1:30p 2p 5p 8p

Mix flours, water, and starter. Let rest for 30m to autolyse. Transfer to an oiled bowl for fermentation and Incorporate the salt by stretch and folding. Ferment at >75F for 3-4 hours, folding every 30m Divide into 2 loaf sized portions Place in floured banneton and proof at >75F for 3-4h Bake at 450F for 25-30m in a covered dutch oven

Results 

This came out totally awesome. I will definitely be returning to this recipe. The result is a hearty  (but not heavy) loaf with a beautiful crusty exterior and a glossy open crumb.

Conclusion

I think this may be my new go to recipe for everyday bread. Beautiful, simple and absolutely delicious.