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

[ro]

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

[Alex-ckin]

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

[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!

[Myway]

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

[chopsddy]

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?

[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!

[ellengrace]

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! ❤️🥰

[azharmunas]

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

[TheDivera]

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

[worthington]

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.

[Fibonacci]

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

[danielnichols]

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.

[Jazzinova]

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

[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!

[GamingLover-xphc]

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

[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?

[dinformatica]

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?

[tracyjohnson]

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

[cliffcox]

What's the recipe. And starter ratio