Temperature × recipe
Pain au Levain at 58–62°F
Adjusted timing: 11.5h bulk + 30.6h proof (multiplier 2.55×).
- Baseline bulk (76°F)
- 4.5h
- Adjusted bulk
- 11.5h
- Baseline proof
- 12h
- Adjusted proof
- 30.6h
- Multiplier
- 2.55×
- Activity
- sluggish
- Target hydration
- 72%
- Bake temp
- 480°F
Why the timing shifts
Cold kitchen territory — cellars, garages, unheated rooms. Ferment time is 2.5× longer than baseline 76°F. Excellent for flavor development when you have the patience. If your kitchen runs this cold naturally, either move dough to a warmer spot or extend bulk and proof times dramatically. Consider using 20-25% levain instead of 15-20% to compensate for slow activity.
Technique for Pain au Levain
Autolyse 60 min. Add levain (100% hydration, 15-20% of flour weight) and salt. 3 sets of stretch-and-folds. Total bulk 4.5h at 76°F. Shape tight boule, cold retard 12h. Bake in 480°F dutch oven: 22 min lid on, 22 min lid off.
Calculator pre-set to these values
- Multiplier at 60°F
- 2.55×
- Adjusted bulk ferment
- 11.5 h
- Adjusted final proof
- 30.6 h
How the math works
Multipliers are piecewise-linear interpolations between reference points measured by Myhrvold et al. in Modernist Bread vol 3. 76°F is the baseline (1.0×); every 10°F drop roughly doubles fermentation time, and every 10°F rise roughly halves it.