INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Day 1:  Pinch moist yeast or dry yeast  Combine the flour, water and
yeast in a tall 2 or 3-quart clear  plastic container with a lid. Stir
well to make a thick, soft dough.  The exact consistency of the dough
will vary with the brand of flour,  but don't add more flour or water
at this point to adjust the  texture. Scrape down the sides with a
rubber spatula, cover tightly  with lid, and let stand in a moderate
(about 70 degrees) place for  about 24 hours.  Day 2:  The chef will
now have almost doubled in volume. You will see tiny  bubbles on the
surface, and you might notice a slight musty smell.  Add the flour and
water to the mixture and stir vigorously to  distribute the fresh
ingredients and add fresh oxygen to the chef.  The texture will still
be like a soft dough. You may add a little  more flour or water to make
this texture, if necessary. Scrape down  the sides, cover and place in
a moderate (70 degrees), draft-free  place for 24 hours.  Day 3:  The
chef will now have the texture of a thick batter. It will have  almost
doubled in volume and be quite bubbly. Taste it! It will have  a
pronounced musty, but not bitter, flavor. The scent will be
aggressively vinegary -- that's fine. Hold the container and notice
the network of tiny bubbles throughout the chef. Add the flour and
water, and stir well to make a thick batter. (You may have to add a
little more water if your flour's absorption level is high.) Lift up
the spoon slowly and notice the texture of the chef. It will attach
itself to the spoon in sticky, gummy strands. With a marker pen, mark
the level of the chef on the side of the container. Scrape down the
sides, cover tightly, and let stand in a moderate (70 degrees)
draft-free place for 24 hours. The chef may rise and fall, but as  long
as It doubles at some point during this period, it's fine. The  chef is
now ready to transform into levain. If you don't want to make  the
levain immediately, the chef can be refrigerated for up to 3  days.
Learn more about the chef, including how to nourish and  maintain it,
in Dan Lieder's book Bread Alone.  Converted by MC_Buster.  Recipe by:
COOKING LIVE SHOW #CL9294  Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
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Calories: 1138
Calories From Fat: 26
Total Fat: 3.1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 7.4mg
Potassium: 334.4mg
Carbohydrates: 238.5g
Fiber: 8.4g
Sugar: <1g
Protein: 32.3g