Pain de Campagne

Name: Pain de Campagne
Cook time: 430 min
Total time: 430 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 50g Active Sourdough Starter, 100% hydration; 100g Bread Flour; 100g Water, room temperature; 450g Bread Flour; 100g Whole Wheat Flour; 50g Rye Flour; 368g Water, cool; 14g Fine Sea Salt; 1 batch of Levain, from above

Pain de Campagne is a rustic French country loaf with a crisp, caramelized crust and a complex, tangy interior from long fermentation. A blend of bread, whole wheat and rye flours yields a nutty, wheaty flavor and open, chewy crumb—perfect for cheese boards or hearty sandwiches. This version relies on a levain and active starter for depth and aroma, and rewards patience with a wonderfully fragrant loaf.

Pain de Campagne is a rustic French country loaf with a crisp, caramelized crust and a complex, tangy interior from long fermentat... Show more

Traditional French Recipe

Health Grade

C · Balanced

Rating

4.2

Time

7 hrs

Price

0,25 €

Calories

429 kcal

vegan

budget

low calorie

low fat

low sugar

comfort food

Method

Build the levain

In a small bowl, stir together the active sourdough starter, bread flour, and water until smooth and thick, with no dry streaks left. Cover loosely and leave it at room temperature for 8–12 hours, until it has doubled, looks slightly domed on top, and is full of bubbles.

Mix the dough

In a large bowl, combine the remaining bread flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour, and cool water. Mix until no dry patches remain and you have a shaggy, rough dough, then cover and let it rest for 30 minutes so the flour can fully hydrate.

Add levain and salt

Add all of the levain and the fine sea salt to the dough. Pinch, squeeze, and fold everything together until the levain and salt are fully incorporated, then keep mixing until the dough starts to feel smoother and a little springy, about 5–8 minutes.

Bulk ferment the dough

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Give it a set of stretch-and-folds right in the bowl by grabbing one edge, stretching it up, and folding it over the center; turn the bowl and repeat until you have gone all the way around. Repeat this rest-and-fold cycle 2 more times, every 30 minutes, then let the dough rise undisturbed for about 1½ hours more, until it looks puffy, airy, and noticeably expanded.

Pre-shape the loaf

Turn the dough out onto a lightly damp work surface. Gently gather it into a loose round, creating a little surface tension without pressing out all the trapped air, then let it relax seam-side down for 20 minutes.

Heat the oven

Place a Dutch oven with its lid in the oven and preheat to 475° F for 45 minutes. A fully heated pot gives the loaf a strong burst of steam and helps create a bold, crisp crust.

Shape and proof

Shape the dough into a tight round by folding the edges into the center, flipping it over, and dragging it gently against the counter to tighten the surface. Place it seam-side down on a sheet of parchment, cover it so the surface does not dry out, and let it proof for 1–2 hours, until it looks lighter and puffier and a fingertip pressed into the side springs back slowly, leaving a slight impression.

Score and bake

Uncover the dough and make one confident slash across the top, about 1/2 inch deep. Carefully lower the parchment and dough into the hot Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 20 minutes; remove the lid, reduce the heat to 450° F, and bake for 20–25 minutes more, until the crust is a deep brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Cool and slice

Transfer the loaf to a rack and let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. This part matters: the crumb is still setting inside, and cutting too early can make the center seem gummy.