Pain au Levain

This Bread is so Emphatically French that it retains its French name here. A stiff-textured levain is used to generate the fermentation. When baked the same day it is mixed, the bread has a delicate flavor, an open cell structure, and a beautiful russet crust. Retarding overnight is not recommended, as many of the more graceful and delicate characteristics of the bread will be lost during the long cold time in refrigeration.