Making a sourdough levain is an essential step in baking sourdough bread. Levain is made by taking some of your sourdough starter, feeding it with fresh flour and water, and letting it ferment before mixing it into the dough.
What is levain?
Levain is an offshoot of your "mother" sourdough starter made specifically for mixing bread dough.
If you prefer calling it an "active starter" or simply "starter," that is perfectly fine as long as you understand what levain means. Many bakers use these terms interchangeably with levain.
Sourdough starter vs. sourdough levain
A sourdough starter is a living culture of yeast and bacteria that you maintain over time. You feed it regularly, let it rise and bubble, and then keep it going in a continual cycle. This ongoing culture is oftentimes called the "mother" starter because it forms the base for every levain you make.
A levain, on the other hand, is a portion of that starter that you mix with fresh flour and water to create a smaller, active batch specifically for baking a loaf. Unlike the starter, a levain is made to be used entirely in a single bake, while the "mother" starter stays active for the next time you decide to bake.
Shortly, the starter is the long-term culture, and the levain is the ready-to-bake portion that is used to bake sourdough bread.
How to make levain step-by-step
To make levain for one loaf of sourdough bread, you will need 100 grams of levain at 100% hydration. To build it, use a 1:1:1 feeding ratio, that is equal parts starter, flour, and water.
- First, accurately measure 35g of your starter using a digital kitchen scale and place it in a clean glass jar.
- Next, add 35g of filtered room-temperature water to the starter and mix with a jar spatula.
- Finally, add 35g of unbleached flour (such as bread or all-purpose flour) and mix all the ingredients until no dry bits remain. Cover the jar loosely, mark the starting level with a rubber band, and place it in a warm spot.
In about 4 to 6 hours, your levain will be ready. You will know it is done when it doubles in size, has bubbles throughout, and reaches sourdough peak.
You can also try the "float test," where a small amount of levain floats in water. However, this test is not always 100% reliable.
Feeding ratios and timing
The feeding ratio and timing are key to a successful levain. The ratio depends on how much time you have to prepare.
Quick levain (daytime method)
This method works if you want to make levain and bake on the same day. Use a lower feeding ratio, such as 1:1:1. Keep the levain warm to speed up the process, and it should be ready in approximately 4 to 6 hours.
To help with fermentation, use a seedling mat or a proofer (such as Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home). I often wrap the starter jar in a kitchen towel heated in the microwave for 10-12 seconds, repeating this process a few times until it reaches its peak.
Overnight levain
For morning baking, prepare your levain the night before. Use a higher ratio, such as 1:6:6. Experiment with different ratios, like 1:7:7 or 1:8:8, or even higher, to find the best timing for your schedule.
The cooler night temperatures will slow the fermentation, so your levain peaks in about 9-10 hours or longer.
Building levain overnight helps reduce the acidity of the starter. Maintain the usual feeding ratio and schedule for your starter, but if it appears acidic, consider using part of the overnight levain to nurture it.
This means taking the leftover levain and feeding it at the ratio you use to feed your starter. You can discard the "old" starter and use the refreshed one instead.
Whether you choose overnight or daytime levain, consider the temperature and feeding ratio to make sure it rises perfectly by the time you mix the dough.
How to build levain when your starter is stored in the fridge
If you keep your starter in the refrigerator, there are three ways to build levain for your sourdough bread:
1. The simplest method
Many bakers take a portion of refrigerated starter, feed it with fresh flour and water, and let it ferment until it is ready to use. The remaining starter is also fed and placed back in the fridge after sitting at room temperature for a couple of hours.
You can use this method if your starter has been in the fridge for a week or less. If it has been stored longer, feed it two or three times before using it.
Yes, you can build levain straight from a refrigerated starter, but over time, this can weaken your starter. Why? Because each time you refresh (feed) your "mother" starter, you refrigerate it before it reaches its peak.
Over time, this prevents the yeast from fully developing, which can affect the balance between yeast and bacteria. The result? A sluggish starter that may rise more slowly.
To prevent this, let your starter rise to its peak at room temperature every few feedings before refrigerating it again. This helps maintain its strength.
2. Letting the starter finish fermenting
If you placed your starter in the fridge before it reached its peak, it still needs time to complete its fermentation cycle.
Take it out the night before and let it finish fermenting at room temperature until it reaches its peak. Then, use it to build your levain. Feed the remaining starter, let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours, and return it to the fridge.
3. The two-feed method
This method creates a super-strong, active levain, perfect if your starter has been sitting in the fridge for a while. It also produces a milder, sweeter flavor in your bread.
- First feeding: Mix 5g of starter, 20g of water, and 20g of flour in a jar. Stir well, cover loosely, and let it rest in a warm spot for 4 hours.
- Second feeding: Add 45g of water and 45g of flour to the same jar, mix, cover loosely, and let it rest for another 4 hours.
After the second feeding, your levain should reach its peak and be ready to use for one loaf of bread.
How to build levain for multiple loaves
Imagine you want to bake multiple loaves at once. If one loaf needs 100 grams of levain, then 12 loaves will need about 1,200 grams of levain. Here is how you can get there.
Method 1: If you have enough starter
If your "mother" starter is big enough, you can build all the levain in one step. For example, use a 1:6:6 feeding ratio (starter:flour:water). That means:
- 93g starter
- 558g flour
- 558g water
This yields approximately 1,200g of levain overnight.
Method 2: If you keep only a small starter
What if your starter is small, say, only 40 grams? You can build it up in stages instead of all at once.
Step 1 - Morning: Feed 35g of starter using a 1:1:1 ratio (equal parts starter, flour, and water). You will now have 105g of starter.
Step 2 - Evening: Take 93g of that starter and feed it using the 1:6:6 ratio:
- 93g starter
- 558g flour
- 558g water
By the next morning, you will have about 1,209g of levain, enough for 12 loaves. The extra 12 g leftover from the first feeding (105 g − 93 g) remains as your "mother" starter, which you continue to feed normally.
But why build levain in steps?
If you tried to make 1,200 grams of levain in a single feeding, starting with just 35 grams of starter, you would have to feed it with 595 grams of flour and 595 grams of water, which is a huge 1:17:17 ratio. Plus, it would take a very long time to rise.
Can you use an active sourdough starter instead of a levain?
Yes, you can use an active starter instead of a levain, but I usually don't recommend it. The reason is about keeping the two concepts separate.
Imagine you pour your entire "mother" starter into the dough. You mix it… Even worse, imagine you wash the jar right after. And then you realize you forgot to save even a tiny bit to feed and continue your starter. This happens more often than you think.
Now, you have to start over. That is why I never mix the two "ideas". I keep and feed my "mother" starter (I called it "Bubbly Girl") in its own jar. Then, when it is time to bake, I build a levain in a separate jar just for that loaf. This way, my starter continues its bubbly cycle, and the levain is built just for baking bread.
Once again, using your starter directly can work, but keeping them separate is safer and more reliable.
Expert tips
- Most bread recipes use levain with 100% hydration, meaning equal amounts of water and flour (by weight). To make your bread less sour, try using a stiffer levain with less water.
- The best time to use levain is when it reaches sourdough peak. To make sourdough bread more sour, use levain after its peak. For a milder flavor, use it before it peaks.
My routine
This is the baking timeline I use for building levain. It fits into my daily routine, but yours will be unique to you and different from mine or any other baker's.
I usually like to build my levain overnight so it is ready first thing in the morning. For this, I don't use my Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home (I only keep my "mother" starter in there).
- In winter, I use a 1:6:6 feeding ratio (1 part starter, six parts flour, six parts water). At cooler temperatures, it takes approximately 9 hours to reach its peak.
- In summer, I switch to a 1:8:8 ratio because warmer weather speeds things up. This way, the levain still peaks in about 10 hours.
By doing this, I can wake up around 8-9 AM and start my "dough day" without waiting.
If I only need levain for one loaf and want to mix the dough the same day, I do a 1:1:1 feeding (35g starter, 35g flour, 35g water) early in the morning. At a warm temperature, it is ready in 4-6 hours.
Let's talk sourodugh
Do you prefer to build your levain overnight or on the same day you bake? If you go the overnight route, what is your favorite feeding ratio? Share your experience in the comments.
Ready to keep learning?
Now that you know how to make levain, it's time to learn how to mix bread dough.
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