Master Recipe 
Pain au Levain (Classic Sourdough Bread)
Nothing makes me prouder than slipping a thin metal paddle into the oven to extract a golden brown, crusty, fragrant loaf of homemade sourdough bread. It’s magic, it’s religion, it’s a thrill. Not every loaf gives me that “pat on the back” happiness; succeeding at sourdough bread is tricky, and just when you feel you have solved all the possible issues (the starter, your environment, your oven, your flour, your own mood), something new comes into play. Volumes have been written about sourdough bread, and will continue to be written. Here is my very personal contribution to creating sourdough alchemy.
Using standard bread flour results in a very basic white sourdough. When I use top-quality organic flour, however, I get a loaf with a glowing, golden interior. Note the multiple variations on this classic loaf. Once you have mastered the basic concept, let your imagination run wild—add seeds, nuts, or dried fruits.
MAKES ONE 3-POUND (1.5 KG) LOAF
EQUIPMENT: A 1-quart (1 l) airtight container; a dough scraper; a large bowl or linen-lined basket (banneton); a shaker filled with flour for dusting; a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a flat paddle (not the dough hook); a kitchen scale; a flat cast-iron grill pan or baking steel; a baking peel lined with baking parchment; a razor blade; an instant-read thermometer; a baking rack.
STARTER (LEVAIN)
2 cups (280 g) white bread flour
BREAD
Flour, for dusting
1 pound (500 g) sourdough starter (levain)
7 cups (980 g) white bread flour
2 tablespoons malt flakes or malt powder (optional)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1. PREPARE THE STARTER: In the airtight container, combine 1/4 cup (60 ml) room-temperature water and 1/2 cup (70 g) of the flour and stir until the flour absorbs all the water and forms a soft dough. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours. The mixture should rise slightly and take on a faintly acidic aroma. Repeat this for 3 days more, each day feeding your starter by adding an additional 1/4 cup (60 ml) water and 1/2 cup (70 g) of the flour to the dough and mixing to combine. Each day the starter should rise slightly and should become more acidic in aroma. By day 5 you should have 1 pound (500 g) of bubbling, lively starter. If in doubt about its liveliness, add 1 teaspoon dry active yeast when preparing the bread and combining the starter and water.
2. On the day you want to bake your bread, line the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or use the banneton. Dust the towel or lining generously with flour.
3. In the bowl of the heavy-duty mixer, combine the starter and 3 cups (750 ml) room-temperature water and mix on low speed to dissolve the starter. Add the flour, cup by cup, mixing just until the dough is hydrated. This should take 1 to 2 minutes. The dough should be sticky, thicker than a batter but not so dense that the dough could easily be kneaded. Mix at the lowest speed for 5 minutes. The dough should be extremely sticky and wet, with web-like, visible strands of gluten.
4. Wash and dry the airtight container. Remove 1 pound (500 g) of the dough and transfer it to the container to reserve as a starter for your next loaf. (There is no need to feed the starter from this point on, simply store it, refrigerated in the airtight container, for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen almost indefinitely. Thaw at room temperature for 24 hours before the next baking.)
5. Add the malt flakes and salt to the dough in the mixer and mix at low speed just until all the ingredients are well incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. The dough will be sticky.
6. Carefully transfer the dough to the flour-dusted basket. Cover until the dough has risen slightly, about 6 hours. (To gauge how the dough is rising, leave the starter on the counter in its airtight container. If the starter is rising nicely—with big air bubbles throughout—you can be assured that your bread dough is rising as well.)
7. About 20 minutes before baking the bread, place the baking steel or baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
8. Carefully turn the dough out onto the parchment-lined pizza peel. Score the top of the loaf with a razor blade. Carefully slip the dough (still on the baking parchment) onto the flat cast-iron grill pan or baking steel and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the loaf is evenly browned. Continue baking until the bread reaches an interior temperature of 200°F (93°C), 20 minutes more. Check the temperature by piercing the center of the loaf with the thermometer. Watch carefully, since ovens vary: If the bread seems to be browning too quickly, reduce the heat.
9. Transfer the bread to the baking rack to cool. The bread continues to bake as it cools, so resist the temptation to cut the bread before it is thoroughly cooled, at least 4 hours. (If you do, it may tear, with an uneven texture.) Store the bread at room temperature in a cloth towel or cloth bag, slicing off only as much as you need at a time (sliced bread will go stale much faster). The loaf will stay fresh for 1 week.
VARIATIONS
LIGHT WHOLE WHEAT SOURDOUGH LOAF
For a heartier loaf, substitute 3 cups (420 g) of the following for the white flour:
1 cup (140 g) light whole wheat bread flour
1 cup (140 g) rye flour
1 cup (140 g) spelt flour
For a multigrain loaf with whole-grain goodness, add 1-1/2 cups (about 200 g) mixed seeds (equal parts sesame, flax, and sunflower seeds).
CRANBERRY, PISTACHIO, AND ALMOND SOURDOUGH LOAF
For a festive touch of color and sweetness, add about 3/4 cup (4 ounces/125 g) dried cranberries, 1 cup (4 ounces/125 g) slivered almonds, and 1/3 cup (4 ounces/125 g) pistachios at the same time as the coarse sea salt.
