The background
I have always been fascinated by bakeries and patisseries. Since I was a kid, I have been assisting my grandma in preparing the Sunday homemade pasta and focaccia. One of the best memories accompanied by the delicious smell that was surrounding all the house.
Since then, few years have been passed already; I have moved to another city for my University studies. Here is the place where, for the first time, I have experimented all the dishes learned during my youth with my family, in the south of Italy. I have started baking loaves of bread, focaccia, panini and more other things besides leavened food.
Next step, a few years later, was to move to Rotterdam. The place that is still hosting me.
I am keeping my self-busy at all the time try new recipes of bread and focaccia, fresh ingredients, new toppings…until a few months ago when my cousin Elvezio, still living in my hometown Mola di Bari, gave me the most exciting and unique present. A very small and precious 30gramms of so-called in Italian ‘Li.Co.Li’. Which means lievito naturale liquido and called in English simply ‘liquid natural yeast’.
I have baptised it with the name of ELVINO…combining my cousin’s name and LiCoLi. The idea to call it by a name…it makes me happy!
You can find information on google how to make your own. It is quite simple, but you must be very patient for that. I am not, so I am delighted I have received one.
But … the first time I have taken Elvino with me on the flight from Bari to Amsterdam, it did not survive. I had to wait 3 more months to get a new one. And now it delights me at least once a week with a new delicacy.
I will now introduce it to you…
TADAAAAM
How to refresh Elvino
Before every usage, refresh Elvino. That means that the bacteria of the natural yeast needs to be alive again. Just a few simple steps a couple of hours before using it:
1. measure 50g of Elvino
2. add 50g of water
3. add 50g of flour (try always to use the same type of flour and choose for the least refined.
4. let it grow until the volume becomes double. I usually use an elastic which I position where I expect the capacity to be double. It’s an excellent way to understand that the leavening is over.
5. you can now use the amount of yeast that you need for each particular recipe. See in my blog more posts for bread recipes.
Hope you can get curious and enthusiastic too about this new natural world.
Some of the focaccia, panzerotti and bread I have baked using Elvino. Fantastic.
