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Sourdough Starter or Natural Yeast is one of the most popular ingredients today, mainly when used to make homemade bread, pizza, or other pastries.
As opposed to fresh yeast, Sourdough is a biologically complex system in which they coexist:
- Lactic Bacteria: so-called because they produce lactic acid, acetic acid, and carbon dioxide due to the fermentation of sugars.
- Yeasts (Saccharomyces Exiguus, Cerevisiae, and many others): They feed on sugars (such as glucose and fructose) and transform them into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2). Moreover, they can produce other substances necessary for the baked product’s color and aromatic note.
VARIOUS WAYS TO PRESERVE SOURDOUGH
TIED UP SOURDOUGH
This is undoubtedly the most widespread method, originating in Milan (Italy) and still very common in the bakery sector.
Its preservation is done through regular cycles that consist of the Sourdough’s soaking and the subsequent feeding with water and flour. After the refreshment, the yeast is wrapped in a heavy cloth and tied with a string or a rope to contain gas development until the next refreshment (typically after 16 hours).
According to my experience, this method is more challenging to manage at home than the one in water, which I will explain briefly. This is because it requires a good experience in knowing how to read the “signals” to maintain a correct acidity.
SOURDOUGH STORED IN WATER
Preserving Sourdough in water is a method that originated in the Piedmont area (north of Italy). It is the method I would recommend to you!
According to this method, storage between refreshments is done by soaking the Sourdough in water.
I recommend following this method because:
- It is Easy to Manage;
- The aqueous environment ensures a Control of the Acidity;
- The result is a less acidic sourdough, more suitable for producing pastries.
Even if, up to now, you have managed your sourdough starter with a different method, you can easily switch to keeping it in water without any problem. Allow about 1 week to adapt to the new “environment” before using the Sourdough for your recipes.
33 comments about “Che cos’è il Lievito Madre”
Potresti spiegarmi se lo sai cos’è il lievito San Francisco
Ciao Niccolò,
Il lievito San Francisco è un particolare tipo di lievito caratterizzato dalla presenza di un particolare batterio lattico che si chiama Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis.
Molto spesso sul web, troverai lievito San Francisco per riferirsi al licoli! 🙂
A presto
Salve, la madre solida da conservare in acqua e creata da zero, deve essere immersa fin dal primo giorno o si deve attendere che”maturi”un po’ ed eventualmente quanto? Grazie
Mi scusi…con il prodotto che avanza posso utilizzarlo …come? Grazie
Ciao Giuseppe,
un modo per usare gli esuberi di Lievito Madre è fare ad esempio il Pane! Ecco una ricetta: Whole Wheat Bread with Sourdough
A presto!
Buongiorno, ho acquistato del lievito madre in polvere e l’ho conservato in frigo in un barattolo di vetro, seguendo le indicazioni. Vorrei sapere per quanto tempo sarà ancora utilizzabile? Purtroppo la data di scadenza non è più leggibile. La ringrazio se potrà rispondermi quanto prima
Buon giorno oggi 24/4 dopo diversi rinnovi ho notato che i gr 150 di pasta rinnovata secondo le tue indicazioni dopo 24 ore ha triplicato il suo volume…ora che devo fare?
Ciao Giuseppe,
devi continuare a rinfrescare il lievito, finché non triplicherà il suo volume in 6/8ore.
Una volta pronto, potrai conservarlo in acqua (che è il metodo che ti consiglio di seguire) a temperatura ambiente, rinfrescandolo ogni 24ore, oppure in frigorifero, allungando la sua conservazione a 5/7giorni!
Ecco come conservare il Lievito Madre
A presto!
Ok grazie ti faccio sapere.. alla prossima