by Eric Kayser - Taste Tomorrow

Inauguration Sourdough Library 15 October 2013 4/11/13, Page 1
Artisan baker Chairman of the Board Maison Kayser PARIS ! New-York ! Tokyo ! Hong-Kong ! Singapour ! Dubaï ! Moscou
Le Levain
Choice and Passion of
Maison Eric Kayser
By Eric Kayser
Puratos
Saint-Vith, Belgique
Octobre 2013
²  The choice of the Levain
The choice of the Levain « Natural »
²  The choice of the liquid Levain
²  The choice of the Fermentolevain
²  The choice of the detail
3
The choice of the Levain
4
The choice of the Levain (1)
Choice and passion
² 
Achievement of the baker’s craftsmanship
As artisan, trainer and entrepreneur
…to offer and transfer the best of the bakery
² 
Respect and promotion of ancient methods
First traces of levain around 3000 BC
Current revival of the true taste of traditional methods
² 
Unique intrinsic qualities of products made with Levain
Taste, aromas, flavour, texture, appearance, etc.
5
The choice of the Levain (2)
Choice and passion
The oldest starter culture of
the house Eric Kayser dates
back to its creation in 1996. It
is still used daily in the first
bakery in Rue Monge.
All the levains of Maison Eric Kayser
around the world have been started from
this culture.
6
The choice of the Levain (3)
Reminder on levain
Définition
The Levain is a dough
made out of wheat and/
or rye flour, water,
eventually salt and
submitted to a natural
acid fermentation, to
assure the rise of the
dough.
Article 4 décret pain du 13/09/93
7
The choice of the Levain (4)
Reminder on the making of the Levain
Phase 1: Making of the levain-chef or mother dough
Phase 2: Development and stabilization
Phase 3: Usage and maintenance of the levain
8
The choice of the Levain (5)
Reminder on the making of the Levain
Phase 1: Making of the levain-chef or mother dough
+
Flour
² 
Water
First fermentation of 28 to 48 hours
Biochemical reaction that transforms certain
organic materials under the action of
enzymes secreted by microorganisms
(yeasts, bacteria, fungi, mold...)
Lactic fermentation:
Sugars
lactic acid
9
The choice of the Levain (6)
Reminder on the making of the Levain
Phase 1 : Making of the levain-chef or mother dough
² 
Natural selection of microbial flora
Wild yeasts
Present in the flour and environment responsible for the rise of the dough
through the production of carbon dioxide
Lactic acid bacteria
Responsible of the acid fermentation
with a dominance of acetic or lactic acid
Depending of the characteristics of the microbial flora
10
The choice of the Levain (7)
Reminder on the making of the Levain
Phase 2: Development and stabilization
²  Second fermentation of 8 to 24 hours with back-slop
(Addition of nutrients: flour + water)
²  Development of microbial flora
²  This phase may take several days
Phase 3: Usage and maintenance of the levain
²  Back-slopping every 8 hours
²  Maintenance of fermentation power
and organoleptic qualities of the Levain
11
The choice of the Levain (8)
The French Method
Cultures
Back-slop
1
Back-slop 2
Levain
1000g(1)
1500g
2500g
3500g
Wheat
flourT55
1000g
1500g
2500g
3500g
300g
5 to 10°C
750g
5 to 10°C
1200g
5 to 10°C
1700g
5 to 10°C
solid
solid
solid
solid
18h
Ambient
temperature
12h
Ambient
temperature
8h
Ambient
temperature
24h
6°C to 8°C
Rye flour
T170
Water
LevainChef
500g
600g
20 to 25°C
Consistancy
Fermentation
time
Back-slop 3 Back-slop4
24h
Ambient
temperature
(1) A chaque étape de l’élaboration, on ne reprend qu’une fraction de la pâte précédente
Source : INBP
12
The choice of the Levain (9)
Un parti pris contraignant
² 
Rythme soutenu
“J’ai souvent réfléchi sur l’esclavage pénible où sont les boulangers, d’épier le
jour et la nuit, ce qui se passe dans leurs levains, et sur la gêne continuelle de
les rafraîchir trois ou quatre fois, ce qui laisse à peine à cette classe d’artistes
trois heures de suite au plus pour se livrer au repos”.
Parmentier - Le Parfait Boulanger (1778)
² 
Long fermentation
² 
Instability and irregularity
² 
Multiple error occasions
•  Acidity: too little or too much acetic acid
•  Taste: to weak or aggressive
•  Aspect: liquefying the paste, lack of
development of the bread, lack of strength in
the dough.
13
The choice of the Levain (10)
Surrogate: bakers yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)
² 
Direct seeding
Introduction of fresh or dry yeast at
the beginning of the mixing.
ü  Speed : decrease
of total fermentation time of 5 to 6 hours
ü  Regularity: regular
and increased dough rise
14
The choice of the Levain (11)
Levain vs. Bakers yeast
- Unique organoleptic qualities ² 
Taste enhancing
•  Sour and acid
•  Depend on the level of acidity
² 
A rustical and rich texture
² 
Aroma development
•  Microbial diversity
•  Amplified by a long
fermentation
² 
A unique creamy colour
•  Dense and irregular crumb
•  Better elasticity
•  Thicker and crusty crust
15
The choice of the Levain (12)
Levain vs. Bakers yeast
- Other qualities -
² 
Longer shelf life
•  Higher acidity limits the moulds
•  Reduced water exchange between crust and crumb avoids drying out
•  1 week conservation where bakers yeast makes the bread stale after 1 day
² 
Nutritional contribution
Low phytic acid presence
from the grain through the
action of an destructive
enzyme: Phytase.
better digestion
² 
Simplified dough handling
•  Shorter mixing times
•  Less sticky dough
•  Better cuts
•  Easier to score
16
The choice of the Levain
« Natural »
17
The choice of the Levain« Natural » (1)
Different techniques of pre-fermentation
The Levain « natural »
Obtained from
spontaneous fermentation
Culture generated by
natural micro organisms
that are found in the
atmosphere and have the
ability to seed and ferment
a dough obtained from
flours or starches,
particularly wheat and rye
flour.
(Institut National de la Boulangerie
Pâtisserie)
Without the use of bakers
yeast
18
The choice of the Levain« Natural » (2)
Different techniques of pre-fermentation
Other techniques of pre-fermentation
Levain from dough:
Addition of 15 to 25% of dough from
the previous day + bakers yeast
Levain-yeast:
Indirect seeding of baker's
yeast
1/3 of the water quantity + bakers
yeast (fermentation time of 10 to 15
hours)
Poolish:
Liquid version of levain-yeast
½ water quantity + bakers yeast
(fermentation time of 10 to 15 hours)
19
The choice of the Levain« Natural » (3)
French legislation - Appellation contrôlée
Article 3 and 4 of the bread decree of 13/09/93
Can only be sold under the
denomination “pain au levain” breads
made from levain and showing the
following characteristics :
ü  Acidity: (pH)
maximum 4.3
endogenous acetic acid concentration in the
crumb of minimum 900ppm
ü  Acidity:
ü  Baker’s yeast content in the final stage of mixing:
≤ 0.2% on flour weight
20
The choice of the Levain« Natural » (4)
Levain Natural vs. Other techniques
²  Organoleptic Qualities
Fermentation with natural levain allows a more
diverse and balanced microflora
²  « Natural » acclaimed by good bread lovers
•  Usage of the denomination « pain au levain »
•  Popular trend: product of the past reintroduced in the everyday life
•  Demand for more taste and naturality
Working with a natural levain is the signature and point of
differentiation of Maison Eric Kayser
21
The choice of the liquid Levain
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The choice of the liquid Levain (1)
Liquid Levain vs. Paste Levain
Liquid Levain
100% Hydration
Favour the development of lactic
acid
Firm Levain
50% Hydration
Favour the development of acetic
acid
Mild taste: Usage in a larger range of recipes: All range of Kayser products
(Bread, pastry, viennoiserie... )
Allow a process standardization
And scale savings.
More volume for the finished goods
Easy to clean and to handle
23
The choice of the Fermentolevain
24
The choice of the Fermentolevain (1)
Technological innovation
Result of the collaboration of Patrick
Castagna and Eric Kayser with the
company Bertrand (Dito-Sama group)
Trophée Europain matériel 1992
25
The choice of the Fermentolevain (2)
Interests of the mechanization
²  Simplify and control
•  Master and assure production while playing
with different parameters like duration of the
cycles, temperature, hydration, stirring, etc.
•  Assure the best stability and regularity for
quality and taste.
•  Decrease the sensitivity towards climate
changes and external contamination.
²  And also...
•  Total control on hygiene
•  100% biological process
26
The choice of the detail
27
The choice of the detail (1)
Other important parameters
- Raw materials-
Flour
Water
Other ingredients
- Temperatures28
The choice of the detail (2)
Other important parameters
- Raw materials-
Flour
² 
Extraction rate
The highest extraction rate:
+ the highest fermentation
power
+ the highest acidity
² 
We use flour T65 with higher
extraction rate than the
classical flour T55.
Rye
Negative impact on the volume of
finished good as rye doesn’t contain
a lot of gluten
Rye flour only use during the
start-up of the levain
29
The choice of the detail (3)
Other important parameters
- Raw materials -
Water
² 
Chlorine
Decrease the activity of the levains
Control and water filtration in
certain areas.
30
Le choix du détail (4)
Other important parameters
- Raw materials-
Other ingredients
²  Salt
•  Decrease the multiplication of the bacteria.
•  Decrease the proteolitic activity of
the lactic acid bacteria.
²  Honey
•  Sugar source boosting the
lactic fermentation
•  Source of bacteria and wild yeast
•  Taste enhancer
No salt added during the
making of the levain
Not systematically added, if
used: around 2-3% of the
blend water-flour
The choice of the détail (5)
Other important parameters
- Temperatures Lower temperature
Favour the production of acetic acid
Higher temperature
Favour the production of lactic
acid and bacterial activity
Working at higher
temperature to
favour the production
of lactic acid.
Programming of the temperature cycles thanks to
Fermentolevain
32
Conclusion
33
Conclusion (1)
Le Levain signé Maison Kayser
A liquid natural
Levain cultivated
thanks to the
fermentolevain
technology
with selected
raw materials
and respecting
the optimal
temperature
cycles....
Complexity
Mastering
Passion
A passion for
s
l
o
w
fermentation
shared by all
artisans from
Maison Kayser.
A complex and
precise technique,
which allows to
reinvent the
bakery trade
everyday .
34
Conclusion (2)
A Won Bet
15 years ago...
The brand Kayser made the bet to put forward the levain...
... as a base of its production, using it in all its
recipes...
...and in the hearth of its talk, communicating
about the unique qualities of the levain
regarding shelf-life, taste and nutrition.
35
Conclusion(3)
A Won Bet
And today...
The renewed interest of the
consumers for the authentic
products made some pain au
levain the flagship product on
the shelves of the bakeries.
The Kayser brand differentiated
itself by mastering of the levain...
A living material complex and
fragile about which we knew how
to make our signature.
36
Thank you for
your attention!
Puratos - Octobre
13
Inaugura0on Sourdough Library 15 October 2013