Instructions: Yields 26 oz loaf.

Day 1:
Make the firm starter.

Day 2:
1. Remove firm starter from refrigerator and allow to warm one to two hours.

2. Mix water, flour and malt on low speed and adjust water to get a shaggy dough. This fully hydrates the flour. Allow mixture to rest 15 minutes.

3. Add starter and mix with bowl lowered some to get better mixing. Then mix at high speed (4.5 on Kitchen Aid mixer) while slowly adding salt. Trickle in water from fingers if necessary. Mix about four minutes.

Salt is table grind. The equivalent volume of kosher salt is twice the table grind volume. The weights of the two are the same.

4. Bulk ferment approximately 3 hours, reforming after about 1.5 hours.

5. Scale: cut to size and form into round loaf.

6. Bench: lightly spray with oil and cover with plastic wrap, allow to stand 30 minutes.

7. Shape: sprinkle flour on couch (linen cloth or towel - embed flour into nap of cloth if it is not smooth). Form loaf on couch and sprinkle with flour. Cover with couch and plastic.

8. Proof: allow to rise 1.5 times.

9. Refrigerate overnight.

Day 3:
1. Remove from refrigerator and continue to proof until ready.

2. Score and bake in a 450 F oven with steam. Start baking at 475 F for 15 minutes. Steam with two big spoons of boiling water. Lower temperature to 400 F and continue baking for a total oven time of 40 minutes.

NOTES : This bread is more properly made with firm mild starter which is less sour than the firm starter recipe posted previously. The directions for making the mild starter are in the sourdough section of Peter Reinharts book, "Crust & Crumb".

Here is the last recipe from Kurtis. It is the Pain Au Levain bread and it is really wonderful!!

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