Italian sourdough (Levito madre) - cultivation and care

[Bozhedarka, Nastya]

Bozhedarka, Nastya , I am very grateful for the adaptation of French bread to the bread maker. Today I baked it and it is NOT SOUR! But I was afraid that it would not work, because I tried the leaven and it was very sour. So I added 1/3 tsp. yeast so that you do not have to stand for a long time. Kneaded in xn, then 4 folds in 30-45 minutes, molded a flat bun and for proofing, about 1 hour 30 m. Baked 1 hour 10 m. Next time I will try without yeast and add rye flour.

girls, I sent the excess sourdough to the freezer - I didn't survive, from the word at all. so just dry

girls, I sent the excess sourdough to the freezer - I didn't survive, from the word at all. so just dry

and I got to a French roll from olga_pekarko from Instagram ... and here's the result, the bread rise is awesome, the sourdough coped ...

[Elena]

Elena, congratulations, the bread is simply gorgeous, the crust is fabulous, the crumb is mmmmm, the good fellow and you and the leaven

Girls, I have a problem. My sourdough is simply none. She was a month on May 7, and she practically does not rise. I, of course, try to bake on it, but I definitely add yeast, without it, it doesn't pull at all. I look at your starter cultures - they are so bubbly and voluminous, and mine, as you put the ball, just stands, practically without lifting, although inside the ball it is porous. Already on May 3, I put another sourdough on raisins, I bought it specially in the eco-market. I use manitoba flour for it, but so far I don't see much progress either. I don’t know what to do, my hands drop straight.

but my leaven does not raise breads well, I don’t know what to do either
by the way, I added a bit of prom. yeast - did not help, as if it did not add

Girls, hello! I got out of the bushes to thank for the topic. I saw her very in time. I managed to grow Lyusya by Easter (that's how I call my leaven). And I baked the panettone with pure sourdough. No yeast added. But the most important thing. A friend came to my daughter from Holland. After tasting panettone, she said that it was one to one, like the one she ate for Christmas. Stunned with joy, I sealed one for Easter in a bag to test for acidity. Today (2 weeks have passed) we printed it out ... It smells like ice cream, it tastes like something.




weight 400 grams




Yesterday I pulled Lyusya out of the refrigerator, fed her, put some bread in the evening, fed the leftovers, and today I will put the dough on the pies in the refrigerator. I will gradually bake. The leaven is already very strong. She raised the bread in 5 hours.

Oh, girls, I don't even know what to say, I'm not special ... I'm learning ... it seems like everything works for me ...
Today I baked Rustic bread, with night proofing, the result pleased ...

[Elena]

Elena, well, a noble bread ... Can you give me a recipe?

[Elena]

Elena, well, a noble bread ... Can you give me a recipe?

Here you go!

Rustic sourdough bread Levito Madre (Helen)

Good day! I went to a forum thread where they discuss Italian flour, went to the store and saw that this company has a dry leaven Levito madre, Tell me who has used it?

[sara fan]

sara fan, there are two types of it. If it is just dry, it must be restored according to the scheme. There is dry, but with the addition of dry yeast. It recovers easily. As for me, it's easier to withdraw it yourself.

They write that "The real Levito Madre sourdough straight from Italy from the revered Caputo brand. The best ingredients and yeast strains verified to perfection", "It is based on flour and a special mixture of yeast cultures (mainly fermented milk)"
"Ingredients: Flour from soft wheat type 0, a mixture of yeast cultures"
Do not tell me what it is? I would like to try a real "Italian". But in my ignorance, it is quite possible for me to sell ordinary yeast.

[sara fan]

sara fan, well, yeast can only be sold to you if packed with us. They can secretly mix. It's hard for me to say here. What do they mean by "yeast culture mixture"? If there is a plate in Italian, then there should only be lievito madre (liofilizzata), if the composition contains ordinary yeast, then in addition to lievito madre there will be lievito secca (dry yeast) or something similar.

My sourdough chaabats ..

[Elena]

Elena, awesome ciabats, I was very impressed. What a gorgeous crumb and holes! How does it taste? And how much leaven is there for how much flour? Elena, I see that you already understood each other with the leaven)) I read this topic for a long time, in the end I could not stand it and also set it up, today is the 24th day, I decided to withdraw 31 days. Only recently I got tired of throwing out the leftovers and decided to try to bake, today I put on your recipe of village bread. I don’t understand how much sourdough to put in, how to make it for bread. I fed it last night, waited 3 hours and hid it in the refrigerator, got it out tonight, warmed it up and now I'm kneading the dough. The main part is still at room temperature between 23 and 27 degrees, I tried to feed it every other day and every day, because it sour strongly if every other day. I read that someone was scared of the sourdough acid, I was also very sour, even bitter, but I fed a double portion of flour and water, as the Italian advised, and this knocked down the acid. Elena, if I understood correctly, do you feed 3 hours before kneading the dough?

I am interested in the leaven, I want to try it. I liked what is not sour. Which way is better dry or wet and is Alekseevskaya flour for general purpose, it has 12 protein?

[Olga]

Olga, will do, if only it was good, not bitter and not raw.

[Painting]

Painting, Volume, thanks for the answer!

[Lena]

Lena, here you know how to catch up with appetite! Even after dinner, I would have crumbled a piece of such chabatta.
I understand that we have a sea of ​​recipes for chabwt, but can you make your beauty a separate recipe, it's for Levito? Yet a slightly different technology due to the "brisk" starter culture and the complete absence of yeast.

Elena, I see that you and the leaven have already understood each other

Yes, we get it!
I add sourdough to the dough in different ways ...
Here on bread, I directly add it from the refrigerator ... I fed it the day before (just as much as needed for bread) and let it rise almost to the peak and into the refrigerator ... not a fact that 3 hours ..
For chaabats, if I planned a dough in the morning, I fed it in the evening (21-22h) and left it on the table, in the morning I start it, it's all at its peak ...
I will collect my thoughts and make a recipe for chabata ..

[Elena]

Elena, thanks, understood . And the recipe for ciabatta, yes, is very necessary, I join the previous request, we are waiting.



ElenaWhat does your leaven taste like? Can you try? At least something to be guided by. I’m afraid of leaving it on the table overnight, it’s suddenly acidified. And in the refrigerator, she doesn't grow at all, it's cold there, apparently for her. Only when I pull it out into the heat does it start to grow. Although with industrial yeast, the dough still rises in my refrigerator.

but my leaven does not raise breads well, so I don’t know what to do either
by the way, I added a bit of prom. yeast - did not help, as if it did not add

Well, in vain I sinned for leaven, changed flour, baked a giant! True, it turned out sourish, I overdid it with something

Here on bread, I directly add it from the refrigerator ... I fed it the day before (just as much as needed for bread) and let it rise almost to the peak and into the refrigerator ... not a fact that 3 hours ..

i.e. feed all the flour from the recipe?

i.e. feed all the flour from the recipe?

Nooo! If I need 100g of sourdough, then I feed 40 + 20 + 40 in advance ... it's in the refrigerator ... I took it in bread ...

Nooo! If I need 100g of sourdough, then I feed 40 + 20 + 40 in advance ... it's in the refrigerator ... I took it in bread ...

a-a-a-a

something I am completely confused in everything - how to feed, how to store, how to use, a lot of information in my head, but I cannot organize

Why our topic is not in the topic about leaven, we need to transfer it there, otherwise everything is there, but ours is not,
I barely found

Now I want to ask, how does anyone store the starter - with or without air access?
My starter culture does not dry without access to air, but it smelly, it hurts my eyes
It practically does not smell under a paper napkin, but it is covered with an oak crust.
And yeast is aerobic creature, without oxygen they synthesize the wrong gas, what gas is needed.
I think it's better

Now I want to ask, how does anyone store the starter - with or without air access?

I keep the leaven wrapped in plastic and towel. Does not stink, does not dry, the bread is excellent!

Now I want to ask, how does anyone store the starter - with or without air access?

I keep it under a closed lid ..

oh-oh-oh-oh, my leaven does not like c / z flour, twice made a dough on it (+ corn), twice received a brick. The first time I thought I didn't knead the gluten well, the second time I kneaded it twice, but the result is the same. Moreover, the first time there was less flour in total volume, the second time more, but both turned out like twins brothers the same in height up to a millimeter. Disgusting taste.
And the rye rose well.
at a loss

eh, the grapes would be ripe, I already want to remove this leaven

my Levito is lost, I start over. The first day.

my Levito is lost, I start over. The first day.

how so?

[Newbie]

Newbie, the daughters came and removed the refrigerator. "Something incomprehensible in the napkin" was thrown out.

[Newbie]

Newbie, the daughters came and removed the refrigerator. "Something incomprehensible in the napkin" was thrown out.

It's a shame, well, good luck in growing
but I get sour bread, and I even threw out one loaf, it's impossible to eat, but I turned it on with the heated cotton, apparently the MCBs multiplied from the heat immeasurably, and the dough did not fit without heating.
very confusing with leaven, then you don't know where to put it, then it will peroxide, then it just barely fits
I will probably refuse

[Camilla]

Camilla, Levito can be grown on raspberries or apricots, try it, if you don’t like it, you will do it on grapes, just practice. Only berries and fruits are better not purchased, but from your own garden.

Good night, comrades Levitovody)). I joined you. Since before leaving on vacation, my working sourdough was simply frozen at the peak of fermentation, I decided not to take it out of suspended animation yet and just grow something interesting again. And since I pinned grapes from the Crimea from the experimental site of the Magarach enterprise (there it is not for the production of grapes, but they use vines for grafting, but they also bear fruit), then everything was decided by itself)). Although my mother has her own grapes and I will freeze one container for the whole year so that there is)). But southern grapes, and even pure / natural - they are dearer to such a leaven)). In short, there are already 2 puffs in jars - pure 100% rye 100% moisture and Levito. Initially, the grapes were crushed and fermented for about 3 days with the addition of water and a small amount of sugar (well, like liquid yeast does). Fermented boldly, with a strong carbonation, without signs of acidity and the presence of alcohol. Then Levito was implicated in this wort according to the standard feeding scheme, not of the starter (since the starter stage for my wort seemed to pass separately), but of the starter itself, that is, 50% moisture. The proportions and manipulations were looked at by Gabriele Bonci (although the initial fermentation of the wort was in a different place)). I used like him: 3 parts of sourdough, 2 parts of manitoba, 1 part of general purpose flour and 1.5 parts of water. More water is taken for the starter. I put it at room temperature, I'll see what happens.Now I plan to feed it 2 times a day so that I can gain a sour milk bouquet in addition to the activated yeast. Then I will put it in a temperature of about 18-19 degrees and go 1 time a day, take a narrower jar with a closing lid. And now let it ripen free and with some air access. The plan is, yes. And what will happen - I will tell you.

I'll see what I get with this madam, take me to the ranks)).

[Nata]

Nata, we will wait for the results!

[Scarecrow]

Scarecrow, Natasha, it is better to take her out without air access. Tested empirically.

1 day: 75 g of juice of pre-crushed grapes (about 2 tablespoons of berries) with the addition of a small amount of water (about 200 ml) and a teaspoon of sugar, fermented in a closed jar at room temperature for about 3 days (until strong carbonation and pleasant smell of yeast).
150g flour (100g manitoba and 50g ordinary).
24 hours at room temperature 23-24g.

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I continue to report online. This is how it looks after the first day. Day from kneading on fermented grape must.

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2nd day. Top dressing.
100g sourdough
100g of flour (manitoba 67 and 33 - regular sun) and 50g of water.
24 hours at room temperature 23-24g

I put it in a jar with a tight lid.

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After 12 hours. The density of the dough is still high. Let it accumulate gas. The smell is pronounced yeast, aromatic and pleasant. The acidity is still zero. Both in aroma and in taste.
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Starter culture 24 hours after feeding (total 2 days after kneading on fermented grape must).

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3rd day. Top dressing.

100g sourdough
100g flour (manitoba 67 and 33 - regular sun) and 50g water

12 hours at room temp. 23-24gr.

Literally in the very first hours, frantic activity began. Immediately after feeding it looked like the previous day (incised lump in a jar, the amount is identical to 2 days, the jar is the same). This is an hour later (!!!):

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It's three. I'll see what will happen by morning. There is still no acidity. Neither taste nor smell.

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After 12 hours, it was well fermented, a yoghurt smell and slight sourness appeared. 🔗
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Day 3, second feeding:
60g sourdough
60g flour (40g manitoba and 20g regular)
30g water
24 hours at a temperature of 18-19g.

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She fed her, reducing the working volume to 60 g of sourdough, put it in a low temperature (19 g) to avoid feeding 2 times a day.

Day 4: the same as in the previous step. We go to a permanent feeding scheme in this mode.

[Nata]

Nata, thanks for the report
there is something special in the Levite, but I personally got tired of messing around with it - knead it, roll it up, and then split a piece for baking, but it doesn't mix well
either way - stir flour with some water and rejoice

[Newbie]

Newbie,

And I'm tired of it. Converted to 100% humidity. I keep it at 19-20. Not worse. Not sour, chic. Only less fuss than with the Levite.

[Nata]

And I'm tired of it. Converted to 100% humidity. I keep it at 19-20. Not worse. Not sour, chic. Only less fuss than with the Levite.

there is something special about the Levite,

and she came to me from the store yesterday, dried, I'm not ready to take her out for a month, but I want to. I will restore it and also transfer it to 100 percent, since it's gorgeous.
Nata, and you feed it with ordinary flour, or did you buy an expensive one, as is recommended everywhere? And how do you contain it? I would also like to be simpler, but to be good for wheat.

I want to ask not only Levite. Which sourdough for wheat bread would you recommend as the easiest to clean

I look here the sourdough excitement subsided, and inspiration came to me, I decided to bring myself LM for baking.
I bake bread on Eternal rye, for baking I brought out simple wheat, but somehow I didn't really like it, sour baking turned out. And then I saw enough, read about the Italian woman and caught fire, but decided to experiment in one jar I did 50% humidity as it should be, and in another I muddied 100% humidity, I'll see what happens and what I like best.

I bake bread on Eternal rye, for baking I brought out simple wheat, but somehow I didn't really like it, sour baking turned out.

the Levite also turns out sour, the girls complained

the Levite also turns out sour, the girls complained

yes, it seems that not everyone turns out sour, I hope everything will be fine))

She spread the store Levite. Not a fig understood how it differs from the usual wheat one, except for dancing with tambourines.
Not well, I understood a little. On a Levite, you can bake whole bread, but on my usual sour wheat only with the help of yeast, non-sour is obtained. But I don’t catch the fundamental difference in taste, if the presence of yeast is not considered a special negative.

[Tatyana]

Tatyana, you have it 50%? I began to grow myself one portion of 50%, and the second 100% moisture, it also seems that 100% is like ordinary wheat, well, I still have it in the growing process, I'll see what happens next.

In general, I did not quite understand what I did. I bought Levita from Breadrost. There, according to the instructions, 35 g of sourdough must be diluted with 150 ml of water, allowed to swell, then add 100 g of flour, and you should get Levita.
As you can imagine, 135 g of flour per 150 g of water clearly does not give a dense dough.
This is probably some kind of liquid Levite?
She smells very nice.
Since further, according to the instructions, it is implied that all the leaven immediately goes into the bread, I already, according to Levita's theory, but self-made, multiplied it in the classic thick 50% version, out of interest.
Of course, the grandmother said in two if it was Levita at all. I looked for data on Breadrost, but found nothing sensible. Maybe there was someone like me who grew this leaven. Or maybe it was impossible to multiply it, but this liquid Levite had to be immediately put into bread, as according to the instructions.
In its raw state it smells fruity, unusual, and in bread sourdough like sourdough. I don't really differentiate with my last Hamelmann liquid.
If you do not warn, then the bread does not understand that there is a special Levita or the legendary Hamelman's. That is, the purchased starter culture is normal after breeding, if you do not expect something like that. I was waiting

And I have one that has 50% humidity, when I open the container, it smells a little alcohol, but what is interesting, when I start mixing the dressing, a creamy smell immediately appears, I have not baked anything on it yet, it seems to be too early in time.
But the one that is 100% moisture, it seems, is already ready, just not yet strong enough, but I already tried to bake a small loaf on it and the result surprised me very much, I thought there would be a sour taste, because it stood for a long time until everything rose, but there was no sourness AT ALL , the taste and smell is creamy, I read here with the girls that it might not turn sour at first, but after a few days the sourness still appears, I decided to watch, but for the second day, everything is fine, and I was also surprised by the fact that it tastes like butter cake , although I did not add any special baking, I started the truth on milk, added a little sugar and vegetable oil, did not add eggs, butter, or vanillin, the creamy taste and smell of the cake was initially weak, and on the second day it became more pronounced, I delighted with the result
although, of course, it is too early to draw conclusions, this is just a "test of the pen", I will continue to experiment, but I just don't know if it is possible to spread my observations here, if anyone needs it, the topic seems to have died down.

I am calm about industrial yeast, so I easily remove the sourness of the leaven by reducing the proportion of the leaven, adding yeast. So it's easier for me.
I'm more interested in the difference in taste and aroma.