How to make liquid sourdough

Liquid sourdough, also known as li.co.li. it is an alternative to mother yeast, easier to manage and perfect for leavened products.

The liquid mother yeast, also known among enthusiasts as li.co.li. (i.e. liquid culture yeast), is a compound comparable to mother yeast from which it differs, among the various aspects, precisely for its consistency . In fact, we will discover that it is possible to switch from liquid yeast to sourdough in a rather simple way. The difference between mother yeast and licolies, however, also lies in their use. The liquid sourdough is in fact perfect for all those leavened products that need a rest time in the refrigerator but it is also ideal for all those who want to approach the world of natural leavening in a simple way.

How to prepare the liquid culture sourdough recipe

1. To make the liquid sourdough you need to start from the starter . We used raisins. First, quickly rinse the raisins with hot water by placing them in a colander.
2. Then transfer it to the jug of the immersion blender together with the 150 g of water required by the recipe and let it soak for 20 minutes before blending everything.
3. Then stir in the flour twice, mixing with a kitchen spatula.
4. Transfer the mixture obtained into a glass jar and ask for it with a moistened gauze and stopped with an elastic. Leave to mature at room temperature for 48 hours.

How to refresh the licoli

Refreshments are used to nourish the yeast and must be repeated for at least a month, 48 hours apart, before it is ready to be used. In liquid yeast the ratio is always 1: 1: 1 , that is to say that for a given weight of lycols, an equal weight of water and flour are added. Let’s see how to proceed:

1. Take 100g of starter and discard the rest.
2. Add 100 g of water and 100 g of flour and mix well.
3. Transfer everything to a tall glass jar. Choose one of those with a spring hermetic seal and remove the gasket.
4. Let it rise at room temperature for 48 hours then repeat all the steps. You will need to do this for a total of 31 days .

After 31 days your yeast is ready to be used in recipes.

The mother yeast should theoretically be refreshed every day. However, it can be kept in the refrigerator, in the lower part, for up to 7 days. Besides it would be appropriate to freeze it. The licoli must then be refreshed 24 hours before each use.

How to use Li.Co.Li.

When you want to use liquid yeast for the preparation of a recipe, it must be refreshed 24 hours in advance . This time we take 150 grams and proceed as per the instructions above, respecting the ratio 1: 1: 1. It is then placed in the refrigerator and when it is time to knead, 30 minutes before, it is brought back to room temperature. The surplus not used in the recipe must always be refreshed following the same proportions and placed in the refrigerator.

Switching from licoli sourdough recipe to solid sourdough is pretty simple. You will have to proceed with the refreshments, always 48 hours later, gradually increasing the dose of flour until it reaches double the weight of water. Specifically, at the third refreshment you will need 100 g of sourdough (first liquid), 50 g of water and 100 g of flour.

Liquid mother yeast can be used in leavened recipes such as bread, pizza and focaccia to obtain a lighter, more digestible and long-lasting product . Keep in mind that the doses given in the recipes with the licoli mean the weight of the already refreshed yeast.

And here is also the recipe to prepare the classic mother yeast !