Save Time Baking Sourdough by Pre-Mixing your Levain

Discover how I schedule my sourdough baking at weekends to save me time and produce a great loaf. Fermenting my levain overnight allows me to mix early in the morning, but pre-mixing the levain is the real takeaway.
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#sourdoughbaking

[@ro2670]

I think the secret is the light double tap after covering the bowl. I’m going to give that a try.

[@CulinaryExploration]

Never underestimate the power of the double tap...

[@barrychambers4047]

Not to underestimate the strength of the dough cover spin as well. 😄

[@ellengrace4609]

Brilliant! I have never tried the double tap. Will give that a go! 😂

[@janlindstrom1037]

😂

[@wdjones4735]

I tried this method last weekend. My starter is about a year old. Mind you, I did not bake all summer long, but fed my starter bi-weekly. Boy, my bread really came out so good! Great oven spring and beautiful crumb! Thanks Phil👍🏻🙂 I wish I could send you pictures!

[@Alex-ck4in]

Always mind-blown by your success at high hydration, you make it look so easy!!

[@Myway65]

Beautifull bread, still 36hr from start to finish. Sorry, but it doesn't fit in my schedule.

[@deebrake]

Thank you so much, love how informative your episodes are. We can always keep learning as that is how we improve. Have a good day!

[@CulinaryExploration]

Thank you and have a great day too!

[@frankyb0y270]

This is my go-to place for practical knowledge about delicious bread. But beware - it can lead to your environment no longer wanting mass-produced bread and sending you into the kitchen instead. Many thanks for the effort and the pleasant way of presentation.

[@CulinaryExploration]

Cheers buddy, pleased you are enjoying home baked bread! And thanks for the super thanks 👌👍🤩

[@mrgreenbudz37]

Mind blowing as I would never have thought that about the fridge. Thank you.

[@CulinaryExploration]

It’s a great scheduling tactic! 👍

[@lindajoyflower]

Best ❤best ❤method ever!! ❤ No fuss turns out amazing every time ….. it’s adjustable to my life place and schedule. Culinary Explorations is the best!

[@lglindfw]

I only recently started making sourdough bread and your videos have been extremely helpful as I go along! I would very much like to see your weekday method that can be left alone for 10+ hours!

[@CulinaryExploration]

Thank you! I will pop that request into the bucket list :)

[@stevesheffield45]

Me too please! Thank you.@@CulinaryExploration

[@chopsddy3]

Discovering the “dirty jar” technique was the best revelation I’ve had concerning maintaining a starter. I went through way too much flour and produced too much discard for a single person to use . My starter is about 18 months old now. The dirty jar lights right up when it gets fresh flour and water. It has simplified the process greatly. Using the traditional discard method, and being poor enough to be too frugal to “discard” an edible product, left me with a kilo of dried starter. No one needs a kilo of dried starter unless they are in the business of selling it. Now , I only have to deal with one little jar .BTW, I have the same jar. Thats some pretty good jelly and jam in those particular jars.👍 Thanks again Phil. You sharing you journey of discovery has really helped mine. BTW, Does your calculator work on an iPad or is a regular computer required to download it?

[@CulinaryExploration]

Cheers buddy! You should be able to access it as it's in Google sheets format.

[@bogus_not_me]

I agree- I've always disliked the ideal of carefully measuring out a bit and throwing the rest away! And the double tap might just be a kind of magic touch... also noted he used metal bowls, which I had seen should be avoided.

[@MrPesci1975]

@@bogus_not_mehey bud. Stainless steel bowls are perfectly fine. Do you remember the reason they gave?

[@ellengrace4609]

This may just be the perfect video for my stage of learning, and it came at just the right time! I started baking sourdough during the pandemic (yep, I’m one of those COVID bakers 😂) and after “perfecting” my technique over the next year, I tired of it. Too much waste in the feeding schedule if I wasn’t baking frequently, so I started to feel anxious about baking. I took a very long break but I just can’t find sourdough as good as mine in the supermarkets. So, I’m ready to go back to baking my own. Your video is just what I needed to make it manageable. I’m going to try your schedule and technique. Thank you so much! ❤️🥰

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey Ellen, sourdough takes some time to learn and it's not always straightforward. But the method doesn't need to be complicated. When we simplify the process we can focus on the bits that actually matter (like monitoring and judging the fermentation) and not get lost. If you need any pointers you can always drop me an email. I'm really happy you'll be baking sourdough again, happy baking. Phil :)

[@ellengrace4609]

@@CulinaryExploration Thank you, Phil! That is so thoughtful of you! ☺️ I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.

[@CulinaryExploration]

@@ellengrace4609 Awesome Ellen, please do keep me posted

[@ellengrace4609]

@@CulinaryExploration Update: I activated my starter over the last week or so and baked my first loaf in over a year. I followed your recipe and the schedule and it was a breeze. I mixed it yesterday morning, gave it only one fold, and proofed overnight in the refrigerator. It was absolutely delicious! I would say it was just a tiny bit gummy inside, so I’ll bake the next loaf about five minutes longer. Other than that, this method is a keeper! Thank you so much, Phil! ❤

[@azharmunas4626]

Just brilliant as always. Love the calculator. Thanks so much.

[@CulinaryExploration]

You’re welcome 🙏

[@Jazzinova]

Can I ask what brand the pot youre using to cover the dough with is? It fits great.

[@TheDivera]

Which kind of stone you use to preheat In the oven? Can i use marble?

[@Fibonacci84]

Another great video and more great info Phil. I've been using my Challenger pan now for about a year. Great piece of equipment but, the bottom of my loaves always come out pretty charred which makes slicing a real chore. I think I'll give the stone procedure a shot. Always afraid I'll end up with a pancake. Gotta try. Thanks Phil. Jerry

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey Jerry, I'm not sure what temp you are preheating to, but you could try reducing it. If you are using ice cubes to create steam, you could try without them. When I use the challenger I pre-heat to 220C/430F and slide the dough straight in. I don't add any additional moisture. Just close the lid and bake for 20 mins covered at 220C/430F and about 25 mins uncovered at the same temp. A heavy stone works really well with a large cover for the dough and you shouldn't have any issues with charing on the base.

[@Fibonacci84]

Per the Challenger's instructions, preheat @ 500F w/fan. Bake @ 500f w/fan for 20 min. Then remove cover and re-set oven to 450f w/o fan for 10 minutes. I'll give the lower tems a go. Thanks for the reply.@@CulinaryExploration

[@worthington3637]

Have you any comments about using rye flour starter even for white sourdough? For over 5 years I have been using a 40 year old Norwegian rye flour starter I got from an artisan baker. It lives in the fridge (with back-up in the freezer) in an airtight Addis jar that has popped its lid more than once - straight through the plastic shelf above. Like you I use nearly the whole pot full, say 130 gm to 600 gm flour and 400+ ml water.

[@CulinaryExploration]

I'd say use it! If you like using the rye starter stick with it. If you did want to create a wheat levain I'd use your rye to seed it. I wouldn't bother creating a new one from scratch. Hope this helps.

[@krazmokramer]

I like the time saving tips you include in your videos! I'm new to sourdough baking, so please forgive this question if it is foolish. Can I substitute 44g of stone ground rye flour for the 44g of stone ground whole wheat flour that you used? If YES, will this taste good or am I ruining your recipe? THANK YOU!!

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey there, yes you can, no problem. I think it will taste amazing, Rye is a lovely ingredient. No matter the recipe it's always worth remembering that you may need to tweak the hydration a little. Your flour will have different absorption capabilities to mine and you won't be quite as used to handling the dough, so never worry if you need got reduce the liquid on the next bake (that's where the sourdough recipe calculator makes life easy). If you need any tips you can always drop me an email. Cheers, Phil

[@krazmokramer]

@@CulinaryExploration THANK YOU, Phil!!

[@barrychambers4047]

Nice one!

[@VodkaNSunglasses]

That’s the nicest looking bread

[@GamingLover-xp8hc]

First person i seen eat his own starter haha. Ima try that now!

[@shockas2020]

Thanks for the video! If you were baking the next day, why would you put your scrapings (newly fed sourdough) in the fridge if you were going to make bread the next day? If say, you were feeding your sourdough and needed it ready for the next day, wouldn't you leave it at room temp? In your video you said you are wanting to bake the next day, fed the sourdough and popped it in the fridge. Confused here. Also, for the scraping method, if you were leaving it in the fridge for a week, would you pop in those scrapings and thats it? No discard? Thanks for all the tips! Love the videos. Yes, if we could please see a 10 hour timeline, that would be amazing!

[@danielnichols3594]

Philip, I've been using your "old dough" or pate fermentee method for the last 6 weeks or so. It is a revelation and has reduced my effort to produce a good loaf so much. I've cut my bulk back to produce no more than a 1.5x rise by volume and I'm getting much better oven spring. I love your videos. I'm counting your finger taps in your videos and wondering if they improve your results. LOL. (And I am wondering if your bakes at much lower temps vs. mine in U.S. (preheat 500 degr F; 475 20'; 450 30') are utility cost-related or work better from a bake perspective. I like my loaves pretty 'brown', not pale crusts.

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey Daniel, when you get into the rhythm with the old dough technique it works wonders. It's amazing for scheduling and produces a great loaf. I'm really pleased you are enjoying it. Did it take a few bakes before your old dough adjusted? I found mine was a bit weak at the beginning. I don't think you'll get far with the finger taps lol, but maybe it's worth experimenting with different baking temperatures. It will depend on your setup (stone/steel/covered/uncovered/DO). Some of our community bakers have been noticing that the steam element has a lot to do with crust colour and texture. I'll probably talk about that more when I finally nail baking four loaves all at once. Keep it up and happy baking, Phil

[@danielnichols3594]

@@CulinaryExploration Sorry for delay in responding. I'm still using this technique and sometimes have pushed the 'old dough' to 2 or even longer wks between bakes. It still seems to work well although I need to increase the temp in my makeshift dough proofer to get it more active in preparation for the mix. The only drawback I would say is that I think you need more frequent bakes for this technique to be optimal and I would be drowning in bread if I were baking this regularly. I've recently started adding diastatic malt powder to my flours and I think it is adding a nice dark color to my bread crusts. I like well browned loaves.

[@themaase]

so heres a question. Whats the difference between - a mother starter - an active starter - Levain Do people mean the same when they say active starter and levan?

[@RisingStarter]

Hi Phil, the Old Faithful recipe on your website specifies 45g levain, here you use about 90g. Why the difference? Love your videos and have found them exceedingly helpful on my own sourdough journey. Thanks!

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey there. I vary the amount of levain. If I want to extend the fermentation I use less, if I want to speed the process up, I use more. I also adjust based on temperature. This is where the calculator is super helpful, I wouldn’t be without it. This recipe formula is perfect for an ambient temperature of around 25c/77f. Hope this helps.

[@RisingStarter]

That’s helpful, thank you

[@mariannelalesse9608]

I used the same weight of all ingredients but the dough was very wet? Used whole weat spelt and t65 flour

[@The_Blueyonder]

I've managed to make a good starter which isn't easy here in Thailand, nice and bubbly, smells good also. However, when I try to make a levain 1:1 it fails. Can I just use my one month old starter, not levain?

[@d1informatica]

Thank you for sharing this master content. I can't download the calculator. Clicking the button does not open the page or download the file. I have already confirmed my registration via email!

[@adamellistutorials]

Can I add 20% rhy in place of the main flour?

[@CulinaryExploration]

Of course, that will work perfectly!

[@clkbunny6766]

Love your videos! Love the T-shirt but would love the artwork better on a tote! Please

[@CulinaryExploration]

Cheers 👌. The ‘I see bread people’ is available as a tote. If you’re interested in the ‘it’s not burnt’ I can organise it in a tote bag . Let me know 😀💪

[@clkbunny6766]

@@CulinaryExploration I would LOVE the "it's not burnt" on a tote bag!! 😀

[@CulinaryExploration]

@@clkbunny6766Check back in about 24 hours and I'll have it sorted for you :)

[@CulinaryExploration]

@@clkbunny6766All done, you can check out the tote at the store - sourdoughstore.com/products/its-not-burnt-eco-tote

[@tracyjohnson3596]

If i need 70g of levain how much starter do i need is it 20g of starter 25g flour 25gwater

[@jedichef7275]

I’m wondering for this recipe it calls for 47g water and 47g flour for the levain, and the old faithful recipe calls for 9g starter, 21g water, and 21g flour. I’m so confused. I thought it was the same recipe but are they two different recipes?

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey bud. Two things to note. First, I change the amount of levain that's used in the main dough depending on the temperature. In the summer I use less and in the winter I use more. It helps me schedule properly and that's why you may see some variation. Second, I always use a touch more flour and water than needed to make my levain as it loses a little weight during fermentation and gives me a bit of wiggle room. Remember that even if you adjust the amount of levain used in a particular recipe the main ingredients stay the same. I hope this helps, Phil

[@cliffcox7643]

What's the recipe. And starter ratio

[@KarstenMeyerPhotography]

My levian dubles in size in about 5-6 hours. But after 8 hours its collapsed to almost starting point. Is it to “dead” to use for a bread after it collapsed? I dont get enough rise and my loafs are flat, so trying to find the cause of that. Using the “Old trusty” recipie, flour in 12%protein.

[@lindsayjones152]

Philip, What is the size (length) of the banneton you use for this 800g loaf? I've been using a banneton that looks similar in size to yours but with only a 400g mix. My oven spring has been OK but not as good as it could be. Good job as always !.

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey Lindsay, it's approximately 24cm long across the top, 7cm high and 12cm wide across the top (inside measurements). It's important to make sure your dough fills the basket well. If your basket is too large for the dough then you'll end up with a pretty flat loaf, even if you proof perfectly. You are also in danger of over proofing by trying to let dough over-inflate to fill the basket. This has just been a big topic in our community and using the calculator to tweak the dough weight to match the basket has helped several home bakers improve their loaves. I hope this helps. Phil

[@lindsayjones152]

Thanks for the info. @@CulinaryExploration

[@juhosalola2639]

What size mixing bowls are you using? Cheers

[@BTs-he1lg]

You make it look so easy, I am still trying to duplicate the crumbs.😅

[@CulinaryExploration]

Your loaves are coming on in leaps and bounds Becky!

[@gewickG]

Is it possible to delay shaping after the retard? If I rested it for 5 hours at room temperature, put the bulk in the fridge overnight, then took it out to warm up and shape the boules? ok?

[@efstathiosk3370]

Καλησπέρα, μένετε στην Ελλάδα? Βλέπω ότι χρησιμοποιείται ελληνικά προϊόντα.

[@CulinaryExploration]

Καλησπέρα! Ναι, μένω στην Αθήνα 👌

[@efstathiosk3370]

​@@CulinaryExploration❤

[@efstathiosk3370]

​@@CulinaryExplorationσας ευχαριστώ για την απάντηση!!!! Κάνω την συνταγή σας σήμερα, είναι η πρώτη μου απόπειρα για ψωμί με τέτοιο ποσοστό υγρασίας. Ελπίζω να έχω επιτυχία!!!!! Έχω όμως μια υποψία ότι το παράκανα με το φούσκωμα πριν την μορφοποίηση.......

[@LastEmpireOfMusic]

why your "said" messurments dont add up with the ones in your calculator that you ve shown?

[@myavaphillips2912]

I don’t want to wait a couple years to bake great sourdough bread😞 I want to bake sourdough bread for my son. Maybe not NYT reviewed but just good bread. And I’m not sure I’m learning ,feel,taste,smell of the dough. I just can’t seem to get it.

[@kathleenchisholm4672]

no ice?

[@richspizzaparty]

I’m not so sure how the Lord’s gonna feel about all the killing. Humans continually get it wrong.

[@Fresh-uc9vb]

mate, just buy a loaf

[@caskraker]

Save time? Find a good bakery.

[@ABA_AlephBetAlive]

Thank you! So grateful for your efficient technique. If I have time amidst homeschooling four little ones, how would you space your three laminations? Every 30 minutes following the hour rest?

[@robertpavay3606]

My question is that how much "ml" water needed to pour into the bottom of the oven to steam? Many writes that too much steam can be bad and need only 1/2 cup but then I see that on the baking towel many people pours a teakanne water. Só how is it??

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey Robert. To some extent it will depend on your oven and how well it traps the steam, plus the type of vessel you are using. I've been experimenting by using the base of a moka pot as a steam pod (filled with stainless steel fixings). I find that one espresso cup of water works well if I'm making one to two loaves. But I haven't concluded my experiments yet. I would completely agree that the amount of steam alters the crust's colour, texture and flavour. I find less steam preferable but I guess it depends on your taste. My advice would be to experiment, pick an amount and work up. Hope this helps. Phil

[@worthington3637]

I have refilled one of those oil spray bottles with water, give the loaf a good spray just before putting in the oven and maybe one or two more as it cooks.

[@teresagobis9509]

♥ Thank You