A leaven is basically the same thing as a starter – it’s a mixture of starter, flour and water and it is used to pre-ferment the dough, giving it more flavor.
Once you have your starter living happily on your counter or in your fridge, you’re ready to make the bread. First, to help develop flavor, we make what is called a leaven. A leaven is basically the same thing as a starter – it’s a mixture of starter, flour and water and it is used to pre-ferment the dough, giving it more flavor. I always make a leaven before making my dough because my starter lives in my fridge and needs a little boost at room temperature to wake up before being asked to do a lot of work in a full blown dough. To make the leaven, you combine some starter, flour and 80ºF water in a jar and let it rise for at least 6 hours, or even overnight. You’ll know when the leaven is ready to use because a little piece of it will float in water. I either make my leaven the night before I intend to mix my bread, or at the crack of dawn the same day.