Lievito Madre is a stiff Italian sourdough starter (~45-50% hydration) that provides a milder, sweeter flavor profile, improved digestibility, and superior, fluffier texture in baked goods compared to liquid starters. Due to its low-acid, yeast-heavy fermentation, it is ideal for any dough but especially for rich, high-fat, and sweet doughs like panettone, brioche, and premium pizza. Levito Madre can be used in it’s stiff state or you can make a levain from it. Key Benefits of Lievito Madre - Superior Texture & Volume: Produces incredibly light, fluffy, and soft dough structures, making it perfect for enriched breads. Also works wonderfully in lean doughs - Mild Flavor Profile: Unlike tangy, acidic liquid starters, Lievito Madre creates a delicate, mild, and often sweet aroma due to high lactic acid production. - Enhanced Digestibility: Long fermentation breaks down gluten and antinutrients, making the final bread easier to digest. - Its stiff, strong structure helps doughs rise in recipes with high fat and sugar, such as panettone or pizza, without losing, strength. - Longer Shelf Life: Natural acids from the slow fermentation act as a preservative, keeping baked goods fresh for longer without mold. - Nutritional Benefits: Increases the availability of vitamins and minerals like magnesium and iron. - Ideal for Pizza: Produces a very airy, crunchy crust with high digestibility. Lievito Madre vs. Liquid Sourdough - Hydration: Stiff/Firm (45–50% water) vs. Liquid (usually 100% water). - Flavor: Mild and sweet vs. Often sour/acidic. - Bacteria/Yeast: Promotes more lactic acid bacteria and yeast growth, less acetic acid. Usage Tips - Because it is firm, it is sometimes "bathed" (soaked in water) to reduce acidity before refreshing. - It is often used in recipes requiring long, natural rising. Pictured below are the stages of fermentation, from just mixed to peak Happy Baking!! @Tracy Havlik @Donna Angelo @Sandy Chong @Ann Snow @Patt Stanaway @Deborah Karaban @Judy Lyle @Mauvette Bailey @JoAnn Amato @Colleen Vergara

Yesterday I pulled Vitale out of the refrigerator covered in hooch after almost three weeks of neglect. Poured off the liquid, kept 30 grams of the dregs, and fed her as a stiff starter: 30 grams starter, 100 grams water, 200 grams flour. Twenty four hours later, she doubled. She even passed the float test. Am I baking with her today? No. I want to see three consistent rises before I trust her in a loaf. That’s the standard. One good rise is encouraging. Three is reliable. But here’s where it gets interesting. Now that she’s responding, I’m running an experiment for anyone whose starter just won’t get going. I split her into two identical jars, same measurements, same flour, same conditions. The only difference: one gets fed with water, the other gets fed with pineapple juice. The pineapple juice trick came up during our live chat last weekend. @Candi Brown-McGriff mentioned it to a member who was struggling to get her starter off the ground. The science is simple. Pineapple juice sits around pH 3.5. That acidity gives your lactobacillus a head start and makes life difficult for the bad bacteria and mold that often stall out a new starter. So we’re going to watch them side by side and see what happens. Starters are resilient. They come back. They want to be alive. Your job is to give them what they need. Stay with me. The results from the two jar comparison are coming next. Perfection is not required. Progress is. ~ Henry ⭐🔥

Good morning, bakers. Today's the day. Two tracks, same destination: Yeasted with Poolish — if you started your poolish last night, you're on the dinner-ready timeline. Sourdough — longer build, deeper flavor. Worth the wait. Both recipes finish with the alkaline bath, that mahogany crust, and the snap that makes a pretzel loaf a pretzel loaf. Drop in the thread: - Where you are in the process - Photos as you go (poolish, dough, shaped, boiled, baked, sliced) - Questions, anytime. No question is too small. - Wins. Fails. Everything in between. Quick reminders: - Bread sling or parchment makes the boil-to-oven transfer way easier - Everything topping goes on right after the boil while the surface is wet, not after the bake - 4.7L water, 120g baking soda, rolling boil before you dunk - Watch the crust color, you want deep mahogany, not just brown Adjust to fit your kitchen: If the alkaline bath feels like a lot, or your pot's not big enough, or you're juggling one Dutch oven and trying to make it all work, split the dough into two smaller loaves. Smaller loaves are easier to handle in the bath, easier to bake, and just as tasty. Bake time will come down a bit, so watch the color and the internal temp. Adjust to the situation you're in. The recipe works for you, not the other way around. Both recipes are in the Recipe Pantry. Full video walk-through is on YouTube if you need a refresher. Let's bake. Perfection is not required. Progress is. ~ Henry ⭐🔥

A stiff sourdough starter is typically maintained at 45 - 50% hydration. It offers several advantages over the liquid (100% hydration) starter. Key Benefits: Longer Peak Window: Stiff starters are not as time sensitive as a liquid starter. Why? Because they are denser, they ferment more slowly and stay at peak much longer than liquid starters. In most cases, several hours longer than liquid starters. Liquid starters which might collapse within an hour of peaking Enhanced Yeast Activity: The lower water content boosts yeast growth over lactic acid bacteria (LAB), leading to a milder flavor profile that is less sour and more yeast forward, making it ideal for enriched doughs like brioche, panettone, or cinnamon rolls. Honestly I use my stiff starter for any recipe without issue. Improved Dough Structure: Using a stiff starter helps preserve gluten strength because it reduces enzymatic activity that otherwise breaks down gluten proteins. That gives you.... Better oven spring (taller loaves). Easier handling and shaping, as the dough is less likely to become "slack" or sticky. Resilience in Heat because stiff starters are more stable in hot climates (80°F+). A liquid starter can quickly over-ferment and turn soupy & gloopy in the heat. But a stiff starter holds its structure and ferments at a more predictable pace. Easier Maintenance: Fridge Longevity: Stiff starters can survive longer in the refrigerator between feedings. Sometimes several weeks without developing the strong vinegar smells or acidic breakdown common in liquid starters. Less Mess: Stiff starters are dough-like and do not leave behind the sticky, liquid residue typical of a milkshake or pancake consistency starter. If you'd like to begin your journey with a Stiff Starter say "Squad Me" in the comments!! Here's how to start your Stiff Starter: 3g Active Bubbly Starter 15g Water 30g Flour Mix starter and water together until the water looks milky and the starter is dissolved. Then mix in flour, stirring untill it's too stiff to stir. Pour it out onto a clean counter top, every crumb, and knead the ingredients together until you have a cohesive dough like substance. Lastly roll into a ball or roll out into a strip and roll up like a cinnamon roll and place into your jar. This feed ratio is a 1:5:10 giving you a 50% hydration stiff starter. This will take about 10-14 hours to peak at 73*F. You only need to feed once every 24 hours. I feed at 6pm the next morning when it has peaked I place it in the fridge until time to feed again at 6pm. I don't keep my starter in the fridge for days or weeks... That's my personal preference.

Family. I’m out this afternoon celebrating Ryan’s graduation from FMU. Master’s degree. Proud day. Get your poolish going and feed those starters tonight. Tomorrow is Pretzel Bread Day and you don’t want to be playing catch-up. I’ll be back late tonight from the ceremony. See you in the kitchen. ~Henry ⭐️🔥