Lievito Madre
Lievito Madre
Sourdough Starter
This is a recipe for making and maintaining a 100 percent hydration starter (one featuring equal parts flour and water), a process that requires you to follow a feeding schedule to keep your starter active. If you’re not able to keep up regular feedings, you can store your starter in a sealed container in the refrigerator for weeks, then refresh it. When you’re ready to use the starter, you should scale up to the desired quantity: for example, to make 250 grams of starter for su civraxiu (see page 175), combine 50 grams of the starter with 100 grams of water and 100 grams of the flour blend.
Ingredients (3)
Ingredients (3)
Instructions
Combine the flour (3 ⅔ cups)s in a large resealable container.
Combine 100 grams filtered water and 100 grams of the flour mixture in a small glass bowl and mix until smooth; set the remaining flour mixture aside.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let stand at room temperature for 72 hours.
The mixture will smell musty and acidic and there will be bubbles on the surface and around the edges. This is a sign of fermentation.
Place 25 grams of the fermented starter in a small bowl and discard the remainder (alternatively, you can add it to pancake batter and use it for making breakfast).
Add 50 grams filtered water and 50 grams of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix well.
Cover and let stand at warm room temperature for 24 hours.
Repeat the feeding-and-discarding process every day at the same time for at least 1 week.
Following a feeding, allow the starter to mature for 4 to 8 hours, until doubled in size, before using.
This recipe is part of the Food of the Italian Islands digital cookbook, and is only available once you've purchased the cookbook.
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