Multigrain Pain au Levain

Name: Multigrain Pain au Levain
Prep time: 14 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 14 h 30 min
Yield: Makes 1 large loaf
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: sunflower seeds, for topping; 165g/5¾oz/¾ cup minus 1 tbsp water; 265g/9¼oz/scant 2 cups wholemeal/wholewheat bread flour; 185g/6½oz/¾ cup water; 8g/1½ tsp fine/table salt; 65g/2¼oz/scant ½ cup wholemeal/wholewheat bread flour; 35g/1¼oz/¼ cup cracked rye; 35g/1¼oz/⅓ cup rolled oats; 35g/1¼oz/¼ cup sunflower seeds; 35g/1¼oz/¼ cup linseeds/flaxseeds; 50g/1¾oz/heaping ⅓ cup wholemeal/wholewheat bread flour; 45g/1½oz/3 tbsp water; 50g/1¾oz/3½ tbsp white sourdough starter; 30g/1oz/scant 3½ tbsp white bread flour

Preparation info

Makes
1
large loaf

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
15 hr

Appears in

Slow Dough, Real Bread

By Chris J L Young

Published 2016

About

Levain is simply the French word for sourdough starter and pain au levain is bread made using it. Bread made with baker’s yeast is pain au levure.

Ingredients

For the Pre-Ferment

50g/1¾oz/3½ tbsp white sourdough starter
30</

Europe
France
Mediterranean
Bread
Vegan

Method

Mix the pre-ferment ingredients together, cover and leave at room temperature for 8–12 hours (typically overnight). Mix the soaker ingredients together in a separate bowl, cover and also leave at room temperature for 8–12 hours. Towards the end of that time, mix the dough flour and water together, cover and leave for a 1-hour autolyse.
Add the soaker and pre-fe