Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›La Cuchara›Naturally Fermented Levain Recipe

Naturally Fermented Levain Recipe

Inspired by La Cuchara
Time5h
Serves8

Charred Onion & Garlic Bread

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Ingredients

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Dough Ingredients

Charred Onion & Garlic Topping

Method

Dough Preparation

  1. 1

    Mixing the Dough

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, water, salt, and levain. Stir until there are no dry flour pockets.

  2. 2

    Autolyse

    Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it sit for 30 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the water.

  3. 3

    Kneading

    After autolyse, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. You can use the stretch and fold method or knead by hand.

  4. 4

    Bulk Fermentation

    Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and let it ferment for about 4 hours at room temperature. During this time, perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours.

  5. 5

    Pre-shaping

    After bulk fermentation, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal pieces. Pre-shape the dough into rounds and let them rest for 20 minutes.

  6. 6

    Final Shaping

    Shape the rounds into your desired shape (batard or boule) and place them into floured proofing baskets. Cover and let them proof for another 2 hours.

  7. 7

    Preheat Oven

    Preheat your oven to 250°C (482°F) and place a baking stone or baking tray inside to heat up.

Charred Onion & Garlic Preparation

  1. 8

    Preparing the Vegetables

    Peel the onions and slice them into thick rounds. Cut the tops off the garlic bulbs to expose the cloves.

  2. 9

    Char the Onions and Garlic

    In a grill pan or over an open flame, drizzle olive oil and char the onion slices and garlic bulbs until they are nicely browned and caramelized, about 5-7 minutes per side.

  3. 10

    Seasoning

    Once charred, remove the vegetables and season them with salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme. Set aside to cool.

Baking

  1. 11

    Scoring the Bread

    Once the dough has finished proofing, carefully turn it out onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Use a sharp blade to score the top of the dough.

  2. 12

    Adding the Topping

    Spread the charred onions and garlic evenly over the top of the dough.

  3. 13

    Baking

    Carefully transfer the dough into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

  4. 14

    Cooling

    Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

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