How to correct liquid sourdough strenght

Mature liquid sourdough

Hello folks ! Have been a while since I did not post here, but the book, the baking itself and sport duties don't conceed me a lot of spare time...
I had the idea to write this piece while I was looking some feeds on Instagram and I figure that some people (either pro and home bakers) had the same problem with liquid sourdough.
The main issue was a lack of activity (or strenght) and a strange smell/flavor that was not typically related to sourdough. Since the acidity was good, (let's say around 3,8 to 4,2 ph), as well as proofing times and temps, the problem was obviously generated from some bacterias contamination. It's not quite easy for sourdough to be contaminated, but in some cases, even if one works with the right hygiene protocol it happens. If the levain have been suffering some stress, in example very long fermentations with either low starter inoculation and/or low temperatures (like in winter), the natural barriers from external bacterias may not work. Infact just the use of an organic flour which brings some different bacterias strains than usual can give problems of this kind.
What to do if refreshing after refreshing the issue does not solve?
The most secure (and drasthic) option is to toss the sour and make a new one from zero....
Obviously no one want to loose their beloved levain :)
Here is a method to try (with success most of the times) to bring back in strenght our sourdough.
First, we need to refresh it one time with this formula: 1:4:2 (starter:strong flour:water), mix it until a developed dough is formed (dough temp 25c) and let ferment 8 hours at 26-28c covered.
With a knife, cut the peel off and take only the heart of our stiff starter. Cut the center in 1cm slices and put them into a solution of 28c water with 0,1% white sugar for 15 minutes. (Water should be 5 parts greater than sourdough weight and 0,1% white sugar calculated on water weight). Be careful to not dissolve the slices in the water by using a gentle touch. Repeat the process, (refreshment and bath), until you loose the off flavor and solve the issue.
After that, the stiff starter can be converted again in liquid sourdough by proceeding with a couple (or three) feedings in which you augment the water %.
NB. this process can be used also for too acidic sourdoughs but not for yeasty ones.
Hope this will serve and I wish you many great "Natural Leavenings"

Ps. I found a transaltor for the book so it will be released quite soon in English ! :D

About seasons and fermentation

Hello everyone!

I got a feeling every time that a season pass by and another one come. All my ferments, starters, kefir grains, pasta madre, change the way they work. Ok, you will say, nothing new! Temps are changing (either lowering down or getting higher depending on season) so fermentation times and quality change right? Well, I usually run every fermentation in a controlled way, so Temps are always under my control as well as time  etc...
But, I did notice that our little friends keep changing their behaviour either becoming more sluggish in autumn-winter or frenzied by the sparkling spring air or again overcharged of acids in the summer.
And this is not under my control. I can keep Temps always at 25°c, keep the same refreshing rates but the result of the fermentation it' s still slightly different accordingly to the season. May sound weird but it' s a fact. Natural ferments are alive and doesn't matter how one try to manipulate a living system, nature always have the last word !

Liquid sourdough

One of the most used and easiest pre-ferment for breads. Basically a rough mix of water and flour in the same quantity (1:1) inoculated by a starter and let ripen over time.
Altough other percentages of water in relation of flour can be used, (sometimes raising water quantity around 200%), the most practical is 100%. Due to the high hydration, the acidity built by fermentation is more on the lactic side.
Here you have a few examples of liquid sourdough build:

Ratio:                                         Baker's math:

1 part water                               100%
1 part flour                                100%
1 part starter                              100%

or

2 parts water                             100%
2 parts flour                              100%
1 part starter                               50%

or

4 parts water                             100%
4 parts flour                              100%
1 part starter                               25%


As you can see the difference is into the starter ratio. We will see later what does it change.



About the flour:

As in the Pasta madre, you can use different flours. Usually the flour for this ferment should be white and with a good protein content (<11%).
However different kinds of flours can be used, from high extractions to whole wheats and of course flours from different kind of cereals.
Mind that higher the ash content, the faster the fermentation will be. Therefore ripen times will change accordingly.
Nowadays it s more and more used to make liquid sourdough from spelt (if baking spelt bread), barley, oat etc...


About time:

When a healty starter is used to build this ferment, it will ripen in 3 hours at 25°c. Time may vary using different flours and ratios as I mentioned before, as higher extractions flours tend to speed up the fermentation and shorten the ripen time; Meanwhile ratios will change ripen time and characteristics of the pre-ferment. Here is how:

The 1:1:1 ratio is the faster build and can be used to bake in 2 to 4 hours (25°c). Is the best way to refresh if you need a young sourdough.
The 2:2:1 takes 4 to 6 hours (25°c). It gives you more activity and therefore more acidity.
The 4:4:1 can take up to 12 h (25°c) and will give you the more complex flavours and acidity.

This recipe can be used as a stand alone pre-ferment as well as a proper culture that can be refreshed and stored.
If using different flours, (i.e. whole wheat, spelt etc..) this difference can be quite remarkable.
In the first case, you will have a pre-ferment which is strong and will rise your breads with ease but will lack specific characteristics of the used flour because the bacterias don't have the time to set a new balance in the new substrate.
In the second case, after a period of refreshings (from 1 month it will be noticeable) you will have a proper specific liquid sourdough, with a strong character which also lead to a more complex flavour and different textures in final products.


Considerations
If you want a mild lactic sour flavour, good keeping quality and very good volume, this sourdough is the one you want to use.

A journey into the baker's mind

Should start from ...the starters!
Sorry for the game of words, but it s true. Since usually (but not always, as we will see in the future) sourdough bread baking is based on starter quality and characteristics. You can thing of baking as a ride on a suspended line; Every step you take will move you forward to the end (which is the baked bread) but also every step will be easier or harder depending on the quality of the step before. If it was in balance, then also the next will be easy balanced. Therefore the most important thing is to start with the right step isn' t it?

Starter:
I refer as "Starter" for a balanced culture of bacterias and yeasts which, once inoculated, will start the fermentation process. I do believe that starter is different from sourdough. In which way, we will see next. As I said before, it' s vital that the starter is in perfect conditions. To achieve that, it' s important to keep a high grade of cleaning of the whole area we are going to use and of course of the instruments (hands included).
A starter should be kept in low quantity because we are not going to use it directly for baking and we don't want to waste flour. One of the best way to build a starter for me is this:

1 part white strong flour
1 part water (pure, medium hardness, 25°c)

Mix the ingredients and let rest in a closed jar at 25°c for 2 days (or until some bubbles show off)
Take the half of the mix and add same quantity of flour and water. Let it ferment 1 day.
Repeat this phase until you get a lot of bubbles (activity) in just 3 to 4 hours. Then it s ready to be stored in a fridge at 4°c
Enjoy !