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5 from 3 votes

Lievito Madre

Author: Nikolay's Kitchen

Instructions

  • -100 grams of strong white flour
    -100 ml of water at room temperature
    -1 tsp. honey (optional)
    Combine flour, water, and honey (if you use) into the mixer bowl.
    Mix with the dough hook well.
    Transfer the mixture into a large bowl.
    Cover the bowl with plastic film. Drill the foil several times with a toothpick. Leave at 26-28ºC / 79-82ºF for 48 hours. 
    After 48 hours, you should see bubbles and smell pleasantly sour. If not, start over again.
    Remove the top layer. We will now feed the starter for the first time.
    Place the mixing bowl on a scale and reset.
    Leave 100 grams of the mixture from the bowl. Discard the rest.
    Add 100 grams of flour, the same weight as the starter.
    Add 50 ml of water, 50% of the weight of the starter.
    Mix with the dough attachment 5 minutes.
    Transfer the new leaven into a suitable container.
    The appropriate container is transparent, tall and narrow and large enough to allow the starter to double in size.
    Cover with foil and drill several times with a toothpick.
    Leave to rest at room temperature for 24 hours, then repeat the whole process.
    Do this for 14 consecutive days. 
    You will notice that the parent yeast will become more active with more bubbles. You will also notice that it will become less sticky and easier to work with.
    For each feeding, first throw away the top layer of the old starter. Then measure the correct amount of starter and discard the rest. Only clean the container with warm water and dry it thoroughly. Check the starter smell, which should remain pleasant and only slightly acidic.
    After a few days reduce the quantities to 50 grams of starter + 50 grams of flour + 25 grams of water, to avoid loss of flour.
    After 14 days, the starter will grow a lot overnight and ready.

    Keep the starter in a closed jar with a lid in fridge. You will notice that the starter will grow at a slow pace and will stop growing in a week's time. This means it's time for the next meal.
    Every time when you want to make bread make leaven with 40g of Levity Madre 100g of flour and 50g of water. Stir and leave at room temperature to double. Keep Lievito Madre in fridge and feed it ones a week.