CookEat Recipe
French Bread Sponge (Levain)
A raw flour-water sponge raised with fresh compressed yeast for French bread dough, with half the sifted flour reserved separately for the next stage.
Method
Steps
Step 1
At least twelve hours before mixing, keep the dry flour in a clean airtight food-grade container in a place maintained around 60°F. Keep the fresh compressed cake yeast refrigerated until needed. Use clean hands, a clean work surface and clean equipment.
Step 2
Sift the two pounds of flour onto the clean work surface. Divide it into two equal one-pound portions. Keep one pound dry in a separate clean covered container for the next dough-making stage. Put the other pound into a clean mixing bowl holding six or seven quarts and make a well in its centre.
Step 3
Warm only the measured half pint of water to about 90°F. Take the half ounce of very fresh cold compressed cake yeast from the refrigerator, put it in a separate clean bowl and pour the water over it. Dissolve it thoroughly by hand for about two and a half minutes.
Step 4
Pour all the yeast mixture into the well in the first pound of flour. Mix a little, gradually incorporate all that flour for about five minutes, then knead sharply for about six minutes. Keep the separately reserved pound of dry flour out of the sponge.
Step 5
Cover the bowl with a clean dry cloth and leave it undisturbed in a place maintained around 80°F. Allow at least two and a half to three hours, until the sponge has doubled in size, fallen and risen again. Do not stir or punch it down.
Step 6
Use the risen raw sponge promptly for the next dough-making stage and subsequent baking, keeping the separately reserved pound of flour apart until that stage. This sponge remains raw: do not eat or taste it.
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