We have arrived at the second part, as well as the most interesting one, concerning themother yeast: the ingredient that has the power to turn baking into an art. In this article we will guide you through the basic steps to create and care for your own sourdough starter from scratch. Roll up your sleeves, it's time to get started!"
TECHNIQUES FOR MAKING SOURDOUGH
There are several ways tomake sourdough, but with time and experience each cook creates his or her own technique. The three basic techniques for making sourdough are as follows:
- Wrap the yeast with a cotton cloth and then tie it, not too tightly, with thin strings. This will create an environment with oxygen that will favor the development of microorganisms on the surface, on the contrary, in the core there will be an absence of oxygen favoring the development of the specific microflora.
- Wrap the yeast, after the dough, with a cellophane impermeable to water vapor and from oxygen. With this method you will be able to immediatelycreate anaerobiosis with the growth of specific anaerobic microorganisms within the dough.
- Leave it free (so not tied or wrapped with cloths) in a mash tun and cover it with cellophane so as to promote proper storage. A really diverse microflora will be created in this case, but the time can be very long.
Our advice is to try them all, that way you will find the one that is most akin to you and your needs.
SOURDOUGH STARTER RECIPE: STEPS AND TRICKS FROM THE EXPERTS
Themother yeast is quite simple to create, but you will have to respect its timing so arm yourself with a lot of patience! I encourage you to follow the instructions carefully and observe the behavior of yourmother yeast, as each environment can affect the fermentation process differently.
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g W flour of 350-380
- 100 g water at room temperature
- A tablespoon of malt, honey or sugar (optional to accelerate the initial fermentation)
- Cotton cloth
- Starter
*To reduce the maturation time of themother yeast and accelerate the acidification of the dough, deglistarter, or substances that introduce live microorganisms, are used. Generally, yogurt is used because of the natural presence of lactic acid bacteria, or ripe fruit (blended peach, tomato puree, grape juice). In the latter case, however, in addition to lactic acid bacteria, there is a risk of vinegar bacteria and other contaminants that are not always welcome.
SOURDOUGH STARTER: PROCEDURE
- Knead 200 g flour with 250 g low-fat yogurt 0.1%mg.
- Once the dough is formed, put it to rise at 26-28°C in a container covered with cellophane, so that no crusts form on the surface, for about 48h.
- When the dough has reached one and a half times its initial volume, reshuffle the same amount of yeast and flour (200 g +200 g) with 88 g of water at 24°C (be careful not to increase the amount of water because it would promote an excessive development ofacetic acid which is harmful if it is not in the right proportion with lactic acid).
4. Proceed with the dough, which should be smooth and homogeneous. Give the dough a cylinder shape and place it inside a well-cleaned, unbleached tea towel. Wrap it in a cotton cloth and tie it not too tightly so that fermentation can take place. The bound yeast should remain at room temperature, possibly 18-21 °C, for 24 hours.
5. The next day remove the cloth, cut off the two ends of the yeast with a serrated bread knife and remove the crust that has formed on the outside so that only the heart of the mother (200 g) remains.
6. Cut it into slices with a thickness of 1 cm and put it in the planetary mixer together with the 88 g of water at 24 °C: run at low speed until the mixture has completely dissolved.
7. Add 200 g of flour and create a smooth, homogeneous dough, then proceed again with the binding and resting. This should be repeated for 15-20 days so that the strength and pH of the yeast stabilize.
8. After the 15-20 days necessary for the creationof the sourdough starter have elapsed, you will have to proceed to the maintenance and storage operations: put the wrapped and tied yeast in the refrigerator for a time that can vary from 24 to 72 hours.(Read the first part of the blog to know when your yeast is ready)
SOME TIPS FROM THE EXPERT
Every method, from the creation of the yeast base to maintenance and refreshment, involves the development of a different microflora. Themicroflora is solely and uniquely responsible for the characteristics of the finished products: a mild sourdough will impart those characteristics to the final product, while an excess of acidity will still be found in the finished product as well.
If your yeast is too strong or too weak, you can apply these small measures so as to balance yoursourdough:
- If yourmother yeast is too strong (it has a bitter taste, a pungent acidic odor, a grayish color, round alveoli and a PH of 3-4), you will have to lower its acidity:
- Cut the yeast into slices and put it in 1 l of water at 20-22°C with 2 g of sugar for 10-15 minutes.
- When the washing (wet) is finished, squeeze it so that the acid substances are removed and refresh with the following dosage: 200 g of yeast, 400 g of flour, 180 g of water. Increasing the amount of flour is intended to lower the acidity of the yeast, in subsequent refreshments you will have to dose the flour to get a yeast of the right consistency and maturity (which ferments in 4 hours at 28 °C temperature).
2. If yourmother's yeast is too weak (it has a sweetish taste, a floury smell, a white color, poor alveolation, and a pH of 5-5.5) you will need to sour it: refresh with 250g of yeast, 200g of flour 90g of water. Then proceed with normal refreshment and maintenance.
And here we are at the end! We have explored together how to bring sourdough to life, an ingredient capable of transforming flour and water into culinary delights that speak to the heart and palate. Now that you have the knowledge and tools to get started, I invite you to experiment and let your curiosity guide you to find your own method! Remember thateach sourdough starter is unique, just like the creations it will allow you to make.
