Here’s how I make a levain:
I start by spooning Sunrise Mill starter, flour, and water into a jar. By mixing 35 grams of starter, 35 grams of all purpose flour, 35 grams of whole wheat flour, and 70 grams of room temperature water.
Darrold measures bread recipe differently and recommends you need 250g to 300g of levain for 1000g of flour. He's found this amount work the best with Sunrise flours. In general he uses 250g of white flour, and 300g of whole wheat flour.
Whichever makes more sense for you, after mixing the ingredients together, pop a loose fitting lid on your jar and let it ferment for about five to six hours in a warm place before adding it to your dough. Different recipes and circumstances call for different levain builds. No matter how you do it, I can tell you one thing for sure—it will change the game.
I experienced a lot of success by supercharging my levain with about 15 grams of Sunrise Organic rye flour. Why rye? Mother Nature packs rye with lots of nutrients and microbes that help yeast convert sugars and ferment even faster. That means more bubbles. More bubbles=a higher rise.
Also consider using our Heritage Bread Blend. with your levain. This blend ties with our Heritage White Flour for most popular product, for good reason.
Now it’s time to bake! Good luck! You’ve got this.🤘
