What is mother yeast
Mother yeast represents an ancient form of bread making, made from flour and water which, once mixed, are spontaneously contaminated by bacteria and yeasts present in raw materials and in the environment.
To be able to keep such alive microorganisms, necessary for the fermentation process (Proving) it is important to feed them through regular "refreshments" of the dough, that is, adding certain quantities of water and flour.
Once ready, sourdough or sourdough, it can be used for bread making, therefore, for the preparation of bread, pizza or focaccia.
Benefits of mother yeast
In addition to giving greater aromaticity and digestibility to the dough, several studies have shown additional benefits in using mother yeast. Let's see some of them:
- Products made with sourdough present a reduced amount of phytates, a feature that allows greater absorption of minerals and vitamins.
- During fermentation, microorganisms release a greater quantity of antioxidant molecules.
- The fermentation process increases folate levels.
- The leavened with mother yeast have a lower glycemic index, therefore, they have a lower impact on blood sugar.
Mother yeast recipe
Ingredients:
- 100 g of flour 0;
- 50 g of water.
Preparation
- Mix the flour and water until a homogeneous dough is obtained to be kept in a narrow and long glass jar and covered with film at room temperature for 48 hours.
- The two days passed, take out the dough and weigh it. Based on the weight measured, add the same amount of flour and half the water. For example, if the dough has a weight of 200g, add 200g of flour and 100g of water. Knead well and store the dough again in the jar covered with cling film, at room temperature for 48 hours.
- Proceed with subsequent "refreshments"As described above, every 48 hours for at least 8 times.
- Subsequently, carry out refreshments every day, for about 15 days.
- Once ready, keep the mother yeast inside the jar in the refrigerator and refresh it every 4-5 days to keep it alive.
Read also Sourdough: the 5 mistakes not to make during the refreshment phase
Bibliography and sources
Sourdough and cereal fermentation in a nutritional perspective, Food Microbiology
Prolonged Fermentation of Whole Wheat Sourdough Reduces Phytate Level and Increases Soluble Magnesium, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
Potential of sourdough for healthier cereal products, Trends in Food Science & Technology
How the sourdough may affect the functional features of leavened baked goods, Food Microbiology
Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria Synthesize Antioxidant Peptides during Sourdough Fermentation of Cereal Flours, Applied and environmental microbiology
Use of sourdough lactobacilli and oat fibre to decrease the glycaemic index of white wheat bread, British Journal of Nutrition
