Chef
Serves: 6
Carolyne Schoen
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
55
Spice
50
Sweetness
52
Sourness
37
mins
Prep time (avg)
5
Difficulty
Ingredients:
1 cup
Spring WaterDirections:
1
Day 1: Combine the flour, water and yeast in a tall 2 or 3-quart clear plastic container with a lid
2
Stir well to make a thick, soft dough
3
The exact consistency of the dough will vary with the brand of flour, but don't add more flour or water at this point to adjust the texture
4
Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, cover tightly with lid, and let stand in a moderate (about 70 degrees) place for about 24 hours
5
Day 2: The chef will now have almost doubled in volume
6
You will see tiny bubbles on the surface, and you might notice a slight musty smell
7
Add the flour and water to the mixture and stir vigorously to distribute the fresh ingredients and add fresh oxygen to the chef
8
The texture will still be like a soft dough
9
You may add a little more flour or water to make this texture, if necessary
10
Scrape down the sides, cover and place in a moderate (70 degrees), draft-free place for 24 hours
11
Day 3: The chef will now have the texture of a thick batter
12
It will have almost doubled in volume and be quite bubbly
13
Taste it! It will have a pronounced musty, but not bitter, flavor
14
The scent will be aggressively vinegary -- that's fine
15
Hold the container and notice the network of tiny bubbles throughout the chef
16
Add the flour and water, and stir well to make a thick batter
17
(You may have to add a little more water if your flour's absorption level is high
18
) Lift up the spoon slowly and notice the texture of the chef
19
It will attach itself to the spoon in sticky, gummy strands
20
With a marker pen, mark the level of the chef on the side of the container
21
Scrape down the sides, cover tightly, and let stand in a moderate (70 degrees) draft-free place for 24 hours
22
The chef may rise and fall, but as long as It doubles at some point during this period, it's fine
23
The chef is now ready to transform into levain
24
If you don't want to make the levain immediately, the chef can be refrigerated for up to 3 days
25
Learn more about the chef, including how to nourish and maintain it, in Dan Lieder's book "Bread Alone"