Levain Bâtard with Open Crumb
A French-style sourdough bâtard with a caramelized crust, delicate scoring, and an open, lacy crumb. A true celebration of fermentation, finesse, and feel.
At a Glance
Loaf Style: French bâtard (oval artisan loaf)
Skill Level: Advanced
Total Time: ~22–26 hours (includes levain build + overnight proof)
Prep Time: ~30 minutes active
Yield: 1 bâtard (~800g)
Hydration: ~78%
Bake Temp: 475°F / 245°C
Baking Vessel: Cast iron combo cooker or Dutch oven
Ingredients
For the Levain
25g mature starter
50g bread flour
50g water
For the Final Dough
400g bread flour
50g whole wheat flour
350g water (hold back 25g for mixing)
10g fine sea salt
100g ripe levain (from above)
Instructions
Build the Levain
1. Mix starter, flour, and water in a jar. Cover and ferment at room temperature (21–23°C / 70–74°F) for 5–6 hours, or until doubled and bubbly.
Autolyse
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flours and 325g water. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
Mix the Dough
3. Add levain to the dough and mix until fully incorporated.
4. After 20–30 minutes, dissolve the salt in the remaining 25g water and mix it in gently.
Bulk Fermentation
5. Bulk ferment for 4–5 hours at room temperature, performing 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes.
6. During the final stretch, the dough should feel strong, elastic, and well-aerated.
Shape the Bâtard
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pre-shape into a round and bench rest for 20 minutes.
8. Lightly flour the top, flip the dough, and shape into a bâtard by folding the sides in, then rolling tightly into an oval.
9. Transfer seam-side up into a floured banneton.
Cold Proof
10. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–14 hours) for a slow, controlled rise.
Score and Bake
11. Preheat oven to 475°F / 245°C with Dutch oven inside.
12. Turn the dough out onto parchment, score with a swift central slash using a lame.
13. Transfer to the hot vessel, cover, and bake for 20 minutes.
14. Remove lid and continue baking for 20–25 minutes, until deep golden with blistered crust.
15. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Visual Cues
Exterior should be a rich golden brown with dramatic ears and expansion.
Crumb should be translucent, gelatinized, and wildly open — with large and small holes throughout.
Loaf should feel light for its size and emit a crisp, musical crackle when cooling.
Why This Works
This bâtard is the culmination of fermentation precision and shaping intuition. A high hydration dough combined with strong gluten development yields the elusive open crumb that bakers dream of — rustic yet refined, imperfectly perfect.
