Pain de Campagne au Levain

Ingredients

• 80 g active sourdough starter
• 160 g strong white bread flour, for the levain
• 100 ml water, for the levain
• 600 g strong white bread flour, T65 if available
• 80 g wholemeal flour
• 70 g rye flour
• 540 ml water, at 28C
• 16 g fine sea salt
• rice flour, for dusting the banneton

Before you cook

• Mix the active starter with the 160 g white flour and 100 ml water into a stiff paste, then cover it and leave it at room temperature for 5 hours until domed and smelling nutty.
• Whisk the 600 g white flour, the wholemeal and the rye together in a large bowl.
• Dust a 1 kg round banneton generously with rice flour, working it into the coils.
• Weigh the salt separately so you can add it after the first rest.

Steps

1. Add 500 ml of the water and all the ripe levain to the mixed flours and squeeze everything together until no dry flour remains.
2. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rest for 45 minutes so the flour hydrates fully.
3. Sprinkle the salt over the dough, add the remaining 40 ml water and squeeze it through the dough until fully absorbed.
4. Leave the dough covered for 30 minutes.
5. Wet one hand, reach under one side of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over the middle, then repeat on all four sides.
6. Rest the dough for 30 minutes and repeat that set of folds.
7. Repeat the folding twice more at 30 minute intervals, so you have done four sets in total.
8. Leave the dough covered and undisturbed for a further 2 to 3 hours at 24C, until it has risen by about 60 percent and feels airy and domed.
9. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold it into a loose round, then leave it uncovered for 25 minutes.
10. Shape the round tightly by dragging it across the bench towards you to build tension across the surface.
11. Place the loaf seam-side up in the floured banneton and pinch the seam closed.
12. Cover the banneton and refrigerate the loaf for 12 to 16 hours.
13. Put a cast iron pot with its lid into the oven and heat it to 250C for 45 minutes.
14. Turn the cold loaf out onto a sheet of baking paper and slash it once, deeply, at a shallow angle with a razor blade.
15. Lower the loaf on its paper into the hot pot, put the lid on and bake for 20 minutes.
16. Remove the lid, drop the oven to 220C and bake for a further 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is a deep chestnut brown.
17. Lift the loaf onto a rack and listen for the crust crackling as it cools.
18. Wait at least two hours before cutting, or the crumb will still be gummy.