We Need To Talk: 'Sourdough', 'Levain', 'Boule'--what's up and what'
"Are your breads sourdough?" "What is a Levain?" "Do you use a wild yeast starter?" "I prefer the boule bread to sourdough" "What does natural culture mean on your list of ingredients?" Hello, we need to talk. Since I started making and purveying breads it has become clear that there is a fair amount of confusion around the different terms used for breads made with natural 'wild yeast' culture. Here is a summary: "Levain" is a French term for a 'sourdough starter". Its the sa