Cooking tricks: Express sourdough

We told you about it in the recipe for Mixed leavening bread and now we show you how to prepare it: Express sourdough to use in your doughs.

And do you know why I love it? Because it does not require the effort of being refreshed regularly to keep it alive, it will be ready for use when we decide we want to use it, and above all, we do not run the risk of fermentation getting out of control causing odours to develop that are not always pleasant.

It is important to remember that the use of sourdough combined with the addition of fibre to the bread reduces the bread’s glycaemic index by up to 40%, so it is worth planning the bread-making process a day in advance!

A true ally in the kitchen with just 2 ingredients!

Express sourdough

37.54g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 500g gluten-free buckwheat based flour, brand Petra 5 flour** (Molino Quaglia)
  • 400g water

** Ingredients specific for celiacs

Preparation

  1. Knead the flour with water at a temperature of 30°C (if you don’t have a thermometer to check the temperature, let the water run down from the tap until it is warm, but not hot), preferably in a planetary mixer or a food processor: the dough will become quite thick.
  2. Form a ball and immerse it completely in a bowl or pot containing water at 30°C, the ball will settle on the bottom. Then leave the dough to rise in a warm room, either in the oven at 30°C or in the switched off oven, but with a small pan of hot water on the bottom to keep the temperature, for at least 18 hours or however as long as it takes for the ball of dough to rise to the surface.

IMG_ricetta_lievito_madre_espresso

  1. When the dough rises to the surface, the sourdough starter is ready to be used without refreshments. Furthermore, given the ease of preparation, it is not advisable to store part of the dough to make refreshments which, if not kept at the required temperature and humidity, could develop unpleasant odours and flavours.
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Who can resist Pizza with potatoes?

Pizza is one of the symbols par excellence of Italian cuisine, a dish capable of brightening up evenings with friends, a family lunch, but also perfect for snacks or aperitifs. Yet pizza is a major challenge for both those with diabetes and those with celiac disease, albeit for completely different reasons.

For those with diabetes, pizza is a challenge for blood glucose control as it is one of the most difficult foods to predict in terms of short-, medium- and long-term blood glucose rise. So we should always be careful when consuming it!

For those with celiac disease, pizza is a challenge because the crispness of the dough is hardly comparable to pizzas made with conventional flours.

Despite the challenges, Pizza with Potatoes is definitely one of a thousand ways to prepare this iconic dish and I hope it gives you a moment of joy. Try it out and let me know how the experience went.

Pizza with potatoes

68.27g carbohydrates per 100g of baked pizza without topping

Ingredients for the pizza base

  • 450g flour mix for bread, brand Nutrifree**
  • 450g water
  • 250g potatoes (weight of cooked and peeled potatoes)
  • 250g cherry tomatoes
  • 50g buckwheat flour*
  • 50g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 20g brewer’s yeast
  • extra virgin olive oil, fine and coarse salt, oregano

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Take the flours, put them in a bowl or planetary mixer and mix with water in which you have dissolved the yeast. Knead, then add fine salt and 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Once everything is mixed together, place the dough in the mixing bowl to rise for about 2 hours.
  2. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and, once cooked, peel, mash and let them cool.
  3. Take the risen dough, add the mashed potatoes and mix until the potatoes are completely incorporated.
  4. Now divide the dough into 4 parts, lay each part on a baking tin covered with parchment paper; let the pizzas rise for as long as it takes to heat the oven, then bake them at 220°C until ¾ done.
Uno_Chef_per_Gaia_ricetta_Pizza

Adding tomato to pizza

  1. Remove the pizza from the oven, top it with tomato sauce, mozzarella and oregano and finish cooking for the remaining time. In total it should be about 25 minutes.
Uno_Chef_per_Gaia_ricetta_Pizza_senza_glutine

Adding mozzarella

We topped the pizza in a simple way, but you can let your imagination guide you to create flavour combinations according to your preferences.

Uno_Chef_per_Gaia_pizza_senza_glutine

The ready-to-eat pizza

Version with gluten of Pizza with potatoes

Prepare the dough with 500g wheat flour and knead it with 300g water.

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Gluten-free Apulian focaccia: soft and fragrant

Who can resist a soft and fragrant freshly baked Apulian focaccia ? Indeed, it is one of those treats that it is good to indulge in from time to time.

So prepare the ingredients to reproduce this recipe from the traditional cuisine of an area with genuine and simple flavours, but which is always a great success.

Needless to say, this is a strictly gluten free preparation. To make it, we decided not to add sugar, as the original recipe calls for, so you simply have to be a little more patient to let it rise.

Gluten-free Apulian focaccia 

40.60g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 450g flour mix for bread, brand Nutrifree**
  • 450g water
  • 250g potatoes (weight of cooked and peeled potatoes)
  • 250g cherry tomatoes
  • 50g buckwheat flour*
  • 50g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 20g brewer’s yeast
  • extra virgin olive oil, fine and coarse salt, oregano

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Take the flours, put them in a bowl or planetary mixer and mix with water in which you have dissolved the yeast. Knead, then add fine salt and 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Once everything is mixed together, put it to rise for 1.5 hours inside the mixing bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and, once cooked, peel, mash and let them cool.
  3. Take the risen dough, add the mashed potatoes and mix until the potatoes are completely incorporated.
  4. Pour the soft dough into a large baking tin covered with lightly greased parchment paper. Oil your hands well and flatten the dough, forming the typical holes with your fingers, then leave to rise for at least 1 hour.

Uno_Chef_per_Gaia_preparazione focaccia pugliese

Preparing Apulian focaccia

  1. Now cut the cherry tomatoes in half and let them sink slightly into the focaccia from the cut side. Finish the preparation with coarse salt, extra virgin olive oil and oregano.
Uno_Chef_per_Gaia_focaccia gluten free

Focaccia ready to be baked

  1. Bake in a hot oven at 200°C for about 40-45 minutes, then let it cool before serving.
Uno_Chef_per_Gaia_focaccia pugliese senza glutine

Apulian focaccia

Version with gluten of Apulian focaccia

Just replace the Nutrifree flour with 500g wheat flour and mix with 300g water.

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