levain
Wild yeast mixture
Levain is a portion of sourdough starter used to leaven bread—a mixture of flour and water that has been fermented by wild yeasts and bacteria.
French for "leaven," the term appears in artisan baking contexts and bakery names to signal traditional methods: The recipe calls for 100 grams of levain.
Distinguished from commercial yeast, levain produces complex flavors and a tangy taste.
Wild-yeast bread starter
- motherFemale parent
- cultureCollective social practices
- wild yeastUncultivated fermenting microorganisms
- lactobacilliAcid-producing digestive microbes
microorganisms · feeding · refreshment · discard · hydration · flour · water · activation
French lawn bowling
- baguetteElongated crusty loaf
- ciabattaFlat, airy Italian bread
- focacciaOiled Italian flatbread with herbs
- fougasseSlashed French flatbread
pumpernickel · loaf · crust · crumb · artisanal · boulangerie · hearth · oven
Dough's initial resting phase
- kneadingManual dough development
- stretch and foldGluten development method
- proofingChecking for errors
- shapingGiving something its form
preshaping · retarding · scoring · lame · steam · dutch oven · baking · hydration
Anaerobic metabolism byproduct
- acetic acidVinegar's main compound
- lactobacillusAcid-producing beneficial bacterium
- wild fermentationUncontrolled microbial conversion
- anaerobicNot requiring oxygen
carbon dioxide · enzymes · bacteria · organic acids · pH · acidity · tang · sourness
sourdough
Wild-yeast bread starter
- motherFemale parent
- cultureCollective social practices
- wild yeastUncultivated fermenting microorganisms
lactobacilli · microorganisms · feeding · refreshment · discard · hydration · flour · water · activation · inoculation
boule
French lawn bowling
- baguetteElongated crusty loaf
- ciabattaFlat, airy Italian bread
- focacciaOiled Italian flatbread with herbs
fougasse · pumpernickel · loaf · crust · crumb · artisanal · boulangerie · hearth · oven · scoring
autolyse
Dough's initial resting phase
- kneadingManual dough development
- stretch and foldGluten development method
- proofingChecking for errors
shaping · preshaping · retarding · scoring · lame · steam · dutch oven · baking · hydration · gluten development
lactic acid
Anaerobic metabolism byproduct
- acetic acidVinegar's main compound
- lactobacillusAcid-producing beneficial bacterium
- wild fermentationUncontrolled microbial conversion
anaerobic · carbon dioxide · enzymes · bacteria · organic acids · pH · acidity · tang · sourness · complexity
- breadssliced bread, bagel, white bread, boules, brioche
- Bread Bakingbread flour, yeast, dough, knead, kneading
- artisan breadsourdough, baguette, ciabatta, boule, focaccia
- Boulangeriebaguette, baguettes, brioche, croissant, croissants
- leavenersbaking powder, baking soda, yeast, baker's yeast, active dry yeast
- sourdoughstarter, wild yeast, feeding, starter culture, mother
levaininstant yeast
Fast-acting bread leavener
active dry yeast · baker's yeast · fresh yeast · baking powder · baking soda
leaven, leavening, leavened, unleavened, leavens, leavenings, leavener, leaveners