Cover Photo: Facebook/La Levain SG
Photo: Facebook/La Levain SG
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We also break down what levain is and why it is gaining popularity amongst bakers
Bakery cafes such as Keong Saik Bakery and Bakery Brera are pretty popular amongst pastry enthusiasts in Singapore so you can imagine there was a huge buzz when the founder, executive chef Wythe Ng, decided to open La Levain, a brand new artisanal bakery cafe along Hamilton Road.
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La Levain is a cosy cafe with a beautiful show kitchen that boasts artisanal bakes with international and local influences. Using levain, Ng attempts to take guests on a global adventure with his delicious creations.
Some of the signature bakes are the kouign amann, pain au chocolat, burnt cheese croissant, bo bo cha cha croissant, hojicha mochi croissant and his cruffins.
Using fine ingredients such as premium French butter, French flour, Japanese flour, chocolates, and teas, Ng skillfully delivers fluffy and delicious pastries for the Jalan Besar crowd.
Of course, for many unfamiliar with baking, levain might seem like a foreign concept. Here, we break down why levain is gaining popularity in baking as and where you can find levain bakes in Singapore.
What is levain?
Levain, which is a French word, is essentially a starter when it comes to baking. It is a leavening agent made out of a mixture of fresh flour, water, and yeast and is typically used in bread.
Why don’t we just call levain starter then?
Baking bread is something that we have been doing for hundreds of years and so there is a need to distinguish between different types of leavening agents.
After all, some are more natural than others. While levain is technically a starter, it is a variation of a starter and should be identified as such.
Why is baking with levain gaining popularity?
Levain is great because it can scale up the pre-fermenting stage of a starter. It is much easier to alter the flavour and performance characteristics of the bake during this stage when you use levain.
Levain allows for greater flexibility when it comes to how sour you want your bread, the temperature, the fermentation time and the end flavour balance.
Considering how much easier levain is to work with, it’s no wonder why more bakeries are incorporating them in their offerings.
Keep reading to see our favourite local spots to get levain bakes.
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1. Bread & Hearth
A favourite among the Tatler editors, Bread & Hearth is a bakery that you have to try at least once. The cosy cafe uses levain to boost the flavour of its dough and create artisanal loaves such as baguettes, croissants and more.
We highly recommend their signature country loaves, which are made with a combination of rye, wholemeal and white wheat flour for a bold and hearty flavour.
Check it out here.
2. Of Feast and Field
Of Feast and Field, which is run by a home baker, has been in operation since 2015 and strives for high-quality ingredients and minimalism in everything they produce.
Of Feast and Field’s signature items are the classic Levain-inspired cookies which come in dark and milk chocolate, and the double chocolate and dulcey cookie, which uses a trio of chocolates including dulcey buttons.
Check it out here.
3. Sugary Bakez
Loaded cookies are always a hit; if you want a levain option, Sugary Bakez’s Mega Messy Matcha Levian cookies are the way to go.
Its large cookies are filled with matcha powder imported from Japan, as well as white chocolate and walnuts for a sweet and textured bite.
If matcha isn’t your cup of tea, you can also try its unique S'mores cookies topped with pastel-coloured marshmallows for extra decadence.
Check it out here.
4. Sour My Dough
Sour My Dough is a home bakery that is helmed by a husband and wife team who are passionate about fermented foods.
Their delicious bakes are freshly made with premium Nippon Murasaki Botan wheat flour with natural levain. Some highlights include the sweet potato loaf with purple swirls, and the moist and fragrant sourdough banana bread.
Check it out here.
5. The Whisking Well
Helmed by two young bakers, the Whisking Well is an artisanal online bakery that prides itself on crafting its bakes from scratch.
They serve up brownies, cheesecakes, and levain-style cookies that are decadent and rich, making them the perfect remedy to your sugary cravings.
For a cookie with a bit more depth in flavour, try out the Biscoff levain-style cookies featuring a dough infused with Biscoff spread and cookie crumbs, and topped with marshmallow and Malteser.
For something more unique, go for their hojicha black sesame levain-style cookies. These sweet delights are made by combining the hojicha cookie dough with toasted sesame seeds and the chocolate chip cookie dough to create a light but fragrant treat.
Check it out here.
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Camillia Dass is the digital writer for Tatler Singapore.
