Levito Madre Starter
Baking and Desserts | Italian cuisine
⏳ Time
10 minutes + 10 days
🥕 Ingredients
3
🍽️ Servings
2
Description
The amount of flour and water is not exact. The key is to maintain the ratio of flour to water during the mixing of the starter and its feeding. The prepared starter should be fed every 1–2 days. It can also be stored in the refrigerator, where it can last up to 2 weeks; before feeding after refrigeration, it should sit at room temperature for 2–3 hours. In the freezer, it can be stored for up to a year; to revive it, move it to the refrigerator for 1 day, then leave it at room temperature for 2–3 hours. Another way to preserve the starter is to dry it: during feeding, add more flour to create a thick dough, roll it into a log, and cut it into slices. Roll the slices thinly and place them on a baking sheet. Dry for 2 days at room temperature, flipping them after the first day of drying. Store the dried starter in a cloth bag or in a loosely closed jar. To revive it, soak it in water and wait for it to float.
Ingredients
- Grapefruits - 1.1 oz
- Water - 17 fl oz
- Wheat Flour - 2 lbs
Step by Step guide
Step 1
Crush the grapes using a blender or finely chop them, making sure to keep all the juice. Add 30 grams of water and 120 grams of flour.
Step 2
Knead into a very firm dough. On a clean work surface, roll out the dough into an elongated rectangle or oval about 3–5 mm thick; the shape is not important. Roll this flat sheet of dough into a log.
Step 3
Place it in a deep container and cover with water. Cover with a towel, cheesecloth, or a lid. Do not seal it tightly; air should circulate in the container, but dust should not get in. Leave it at room temperature for 1 to 3 days.
Step 4
After 24 hours, check the starter — it's likely that the roll of dough has stuck to the bottom; gently help the dough release from the bottom with your hands and see if it rises. If it doesn't rise, leave it for another 1-2 days.
Step 5
When the dough has risen, remove everything that has floated to the surface and weigh this mass. If there is a crust formed on the sourdough that is above the water's surface, remove it. The floating mass is the sourdough that you can continue to work with; the rest is not needed. It may weigh 10 grams or it could be 50 grams, and the next feeding should be calculated based on the weight of the sourdough. Add water equal to half of its weight to the sourdough (for example, if you have 50 grams of sourdough, you should add 25 grams of water) and flour equal to the same weight as the sourdough.
Step 6
Mix and shape the resulting dough into a ball: the dough will be softer than the first time. Place it in a transparent plastic or glass container, cover loosely, and leave it for 1 day. The transparent container is necessary to monitor the condition of the starter.
Step 7
After a day, the starter will become runny and develop a few holes. It is not yet ready for baking and needs to be fed further. Remove the dried top layer from the starter, as it is unnecessary. Weigh the remaining mixture, add water equal to half its weight, and add flour equal to the same weight as the starter (these proportions should be followed for each feeding). Shape it into a ball again and place it in a transparent container with a lid for 1 day. Continue to feed the starter this way for 7–14 days. Initially, it may have an unpleasant sour smell, which is a sign that it is not yet ready for baking. The photo shows the starter one day after the first feeding.
Step 8
The finished starter culture will rise about 2.5 times in 24 hours, and you will see fairly large bubbles on the walls of the container. The aroma of the prepared starter is difficult to describe: fruity, slightly sweet, and very pleasant.
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