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Pain de Méteil

Pain de méteil (maslin bread, from the Latin mixtellum meaning ‘mixed’) is the ancient mixed-grain bread of France made from equal parts wheat and rye flour — specifically, the legal French definition requires a flour blend of 50% wheat and 50% rye. This bread represents a tradition older than either pure wheat or pure rye bread: in medieval France, wheat and rye were often sown together in the same field (the practice called méteil or maslin), harvested together, milled together, and baked into a bread that combined the best qualities of both grains. The 50/50 blend produces a bread with more structure than pure rye (thanks to wheat’s gluten) but more flavour, moisture, and keeping quality than pure wheat (thanks to rye’s pentosans and organic acids). The dough must be leavened with levain — the acidity is essential for the rye component’s proper baking chemistry. A rye levain at 80-100% hydration is maintained and refreshed twice before the final dough mix. The final dough hydration is 70-75% (higher than pure wheat due to rye’s water absorption capacity). Mixing is moderate: enough to develop the limited gluten from the 50% wheat flour but not so much that the rye’s pentosan gel structure is damaged. The dough is slack, slightly sticky, and shaped with wet hands into large rounds (1-2kg) or ovals. Bulk fermentation is 2-3 hours with folds, or retarded overnight. Proofing in bannetons for 60-90 minutes. Scoring is moderate: the 50% rye content limits the dough’s ability to support deep cuts. Baking at 240°C falling to 210°C for 50-60 minutes for a 1.5kg loaf. The crumb is denser than pain de campagne but lighter than pure rye, with a characteristic grey-beige colour, slight tanginess, and a moist, slightly chewy texture that slices beautifully thin. The bread reaches its peak on day 2-3 and keeps for 7-10 days.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
ServesOne 1.5 kg loaf
TotalActive: 45 minutes; bulk fermentation: 2–3 hours; proof: 60–90 minutes; bake: 50–60 minutes
Sourced1of 6 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

For the levain (refresh twice before use)
200 g
rye levain
maintained at 80–100% hydration, refreshed twice before the final dough mix
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Final dough
375 g
wheat flour
strong bread flour
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
375 g
rye flour
whole or light rye; the legal 50/50 split with wheat flour
Origin · GermanyLekker · Vancouver →
525–563 ml
water
70–75% hydration of total flour weight; divided, some reserved for autolyse
Your own market
15 g
fine sea salt
Your own market
Optional
7 g
whole caraway or fennel seeds
1% of flour weight; for aromatic depth
Your own market

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II

The Method

1
Combine the wheat flour with roughly 400 ml of the measured water in the mixing bowl. Mix briefly to a shaggy mass. Cover and leave to autolyse for 30 minutes. The purpose is to give the wheat gluten a head start on development before the rye flour is introduced.
2
Add the rye flour, the twice-refreshed rye levain, the salt, and any remaining water to the autolysed wheat dough. Mix at moderate speed or by hand until the mass is cohesive and the ingredients are fully incorporated. Do not over-mix: the dough is done when it holds together and leaves the bowl sides, but remains slack, slightly sticky, and without the taut windowpane associated with pure wheat doughs. Over-mixing at this point damages the rye pentosan gel structure and cannot be corrected.
3
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container. Conduct bulk fermentation for 2–3 hours at room temperature, performing a series of stretch-and-fold cycles during the first hour to build structure. Alternatively, retard the dough overnight in a refrigerator. Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough has increased visibly in volume and holds a slight dome.
4
Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface. Shape with wet hands — not floured hands — into a large round or oval of approximately 1.5 kg. Wet hands prevent tearing and preserve the surface tension of the slack dough. Transfer seam-side up into a well-floured banneton.
5
Proof in the banneton for 60–90 minutes at room temperature, covered. The loaf is ready to score and bake when it has risen modestly and the surface, pressed lightly with a wet finger, springs back slowly and only partially.
6
Heat the oven to 240°C with a baking stone or heavy tray in place and a vessel for steam. Turn the loaf onto the stone, score with moderate cuts — the 50% rye content limits the dough's capacity to support deep slashes — and introduce steam immediately. Bake for 15 minutes at 240°C, then reduce to 210°C and continue for a further 35–45 minutes. The loaf is baked when the crust is deep mahogany-brown, the base sounds hollow when knocked, and an internal temperature reaches approximately 98°C.
7
Transfer to a wire rack. Allow the loaf to cool completely before wrapping. Do not cut before day 2: the crumb requires this period to set fully and the flavour reaches its peak on days 2–3. The bread keeps for 7–10 days.
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — Stone-milled heritage wheat (Rouge de Bordeaux or comparable) at 50%, paired with whole stone-milled rye from a single mill; a mature rye levain of several years' standing, refreshed twice on organic rye.
02
Estate — Single-origin bread flour and whole rye flour from a named mill; a rye levain maintained at consistent hydration with twice-refreshed build; spring or filtered water.
03
Market — Good-quality supermarket strong bread flour and light rye flour at strict 50/50; an active rye levain or established white levain carried on rye; tap water rested overnight.
04
House — Standard bread flour and dark rye flour at 50/50; any active sourdough starter converted to rye feed; a 70% hydration target; acceptable for everyday keeping bread.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Touch. Dough after mixing is slack and slightly sticky but cohesive; it pulls away from the bowl sides without tearing, with no taut gluten film.
◇Sight. After bulk fermentation the dough holds a visible dome and has increased in volume, with a slightly blistered surface where the levain is active.
◇Touch. At the end of proof, a wet fingertip pressed gently into the surface leaves an indent that springs back slowly and only part-way.
◇Sound. The baked loaf sounds hollow when the base is knocked firmly; combined with the deep mahogany crust, this confirms the interior is fully set.
◇Where it lives or dies. The mixing step decides the loaf: enough to unite wheat gluten and rye, never enough to break the pentosan gel that gives méteil its structure.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
El Silencio Espadin Mezcal
El Silencio Mezcal · Oaxaca — Mezcal
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Agave spirit
From British Columbia

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Without alcohol

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The whole pairing
Pillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance

The hands behind the plate.

Lekker
Vancouver · rye flour
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