Building a levain<\/strong>, sometimes called a preferment, is common in many sourdough recipes, and it\u2019s incredibly useful. Building a levain allows you to maintain a small amount of starter and use a portion of it to inoculate a larger quantity of flour and water for a specific recipe.<\/p>\nLevain builds can vary widely in their hydration depending on the final dough. This not only makes for a very manageable amount of starter, but because it uses such a small quantity, the sour flavor is restrained and mellow\u2014ideal for sweeter, enriched doughs.<\/p>\n
Since all sourdough starters are unique, the maturation time varies widely\u2014anywhere from 6 to 12 hours\u2014so keep an eye on it the first time.<\/p>\n
And timing is everything. Generally, I like to feed my starter first thing so I can build my levain early in the day. This allows me to mix a dough in the evening and give it a few hours at room temperature before transferring it to the fridge overnight. The next morning, I can shape and bake.<\/p>\n
To figure out what timing will work best for you, get familiar with your starter\u2019s growth times and work backwards from when you\u2019d ideally like to enjoy the final product. (This formula appears in multiple enriched recipes in this
\nbook, and you can easily refer back to it.)<\/p>\n
In a small mixing bowl, combine the water and the active sourdough starter. Add the bread flour and bring the mixture together, kneading by hand if necessary, until uniform.<\/p>\n
Transfer the mixture to a clear jar or plastic container, 16-ounce (480-ml) capacity or larger.<\/p>\n
Cover and set the container in a warm spot to double in volume, at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours. Use a rubber band or piece of tape to mark the starting volume and watch its progress. When it’s doubled in volume, it’s ready to use.<\/p>\n
To make the dough<\/strong>: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook, combine the levain, flour, soft butter, sugar, whole eggs, egg yolk, milk and salt.<\/p>\nKnead on low speed for 25 to 30 minutes, stopping the mixer and scraping it down every 10 minutes or so to make sure everything is getting incorporated, until the dough comes together in a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The long kneading time is necessary for proper gluten development. It\u2019ll start off looking very shaggy and messy, but resist the urge to add additional flour before it magically smooths itself out!<\/p>\n
Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated very lightly with neutral nonstick cooking spray. Cover and set in a warm spot, letting the dough proof for 4 hours at room temperature. It may not rise much this first proofing; that\u2019s OK! Gently fold the dough over itself, cover and transfer to the fridge to ferment overnight, 12 to 14 hours.<\/p>\n
Spray a 9 x 4 x 4-inch (23 x 10 x 10-cm) loaf pan with neutral nonstick cooking spray and set aside.<\/p>\n
Remove the dough from the fridge and gently turn it out onto a floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour and gently roll it out into an 8 x 18-inch (20 x 46-cm) rectangle.<\/p>\n
To make the filling:<\/strong> Spread the soft butter all over the dough in a thin, even layer.<\/p>\nCombine the sugar and salt in a small bowl; evenly dust the mixture over the butter.<\/p>\n
Using a pizza cutter or large knife, cut the rectangle into 24 small squares. I do this by cutting it 3 x 8, first dividing it into three 18-inch (46-cm)-long strips, and then slicing those each into eight even pieces.<\/p>\n
Stack the pieces of dough, a few at a time, and line them up in the bottom of the prepared pan, so they\u2019re all standing on edge.<\/p>\n
Once all the dough is stacked in the pan, cover it loosely with a piece of plastic. Place the loaf in a warm spot and proof until the rectangles have increased in size by about a third and appear light and puffy, 3 to 4 hours.<\/p>\n
Heat the oven to 350F (177C) with a rack in the center.<\/p>\n
When fully proofed, uncover and transfer the loaf to the oven and bake until it\u2019s a deep golden brown on top, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature in the pan.<\/p>\n
To make the glaze:<\/strong> In a small saucepan, bring the honey and milk to a boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth.<\/p>\nAfter the loaf has cooled slightly but is still warm to the touch, gently remove it from the pan and place on a cutting board or platter. With a pastry brush, gently brush the top of the loaf with about half the honey glaze.<\/p>\n
Let it sit for 5 minutes, then add a second coat of glaze and garnish with the flaky sea salt. Pull apart and enjoy while still warm.<\/p>\n
Reprinted with permission from\u00a0The Sweet Side of Sourdough<\/em>\u00a0by Caroline Schiff, Page Street Publishing Co. 2021. Photo credit:\u00a0Jonathan Meter
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