How I Wake Up My Lievito Madre From a Long Nap

3 MUST VISIT FOOD SPOTS IN BARCELONA + UKRAINIAN STUFFED CREPE RECIPE

As some of you know, I recently went to Barcelona to see my parents. After four very long years. As it was getting closer to the trip, I started getting nervous about leaving my stiff starter/lievito madre (LM). Theoretically I knew that there was nothing to worry about, but I have been feeding my LM every day for the last 3 years. Changes in my daily routine tend to make me anxious. I was going to be out of the country for almost 4 weeks. This is what my anxious brain likes to do when even an ounce of uncertainty presents itself in my life.

Additionally, a little voice in my head was telling me that there was a chance that my LM will never be as strong as it was before the trip and it won’t be able to bake delicious and beautiful panettone. OBVIOUSLY all of those “fears” were completely unfounded.

I baked some of my best panettone after my trip to Barcelona. Your LM just like you can actually benefit from a little vacation. Here’s exactly what I did before and after I returned from my trip to wake up my LM. Let me know what you do with your LM when you go on long trips! I know some folks like to start from scratch with a new LM. Let’s share our processes in the comments.

Before the Trip:

The evening before the trip, our flight to New York City was at 7 am. I fed my LM the following ratio: 1 part LM, 2 parts flour, and 40% hydration. After mixing and rolling up my LM, I placed it in a gallon size freezer bag (I do this as an extra layer of protection for longer naps, you won’t see me using plastic in the YouTube video) and wrapped it in one of my cotton kitchen towels, use canvas if you have it, it’s an even better option for LM storage! I used some butcher string to tie it up (see photo below) or watch me wrap my LM here on YouTube if you have never done it before. This bound method of storing LM is called legato in Italian. Here’s a helpful article on the topic.

I then immediately placed it in my refrigerator, the temperature in the fridge is between 35 and 38F.

After the Trip:

The trip home was relatively painless except for the nightmare that is JFK airport. We finally made it back home around 11pm. Since we got in so late, I decided the best thing to do was to get some rest and feed my LM the next day. The next evening around 8:30 pm, I took out my LM and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. I then proceeded to unwrap the LM, cut off the outer layer, and weighed out 100 grams of LM, 150 grams of flour, and 67 grams of water. In other words, I fed my LM the following ratio: 1:1.5:45%. I let my LM sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before placing it in my wine cooler. The next day, or exactly 19 hours later, I proceed to do one warm refreshment using the following ratio: 1:1:45%. I put the LM at 28 C/30 C for 3 hours or until tripled. I then proceeded to feed it the standard overnight/daily feeding ratio of 1:1.5:45% and placed it back in the wine fridge for overnight sleep.

That’s it! That’s how I got my LM back on its daily feeding schedule! Check out this beautiful panettone I baked a couple weeks after I got back from Barcelona.

Notes* I use King Arthur Bread Flour for both my daily feedings and my warm refreshments for those wondering. I don’t use Panettone flour for my warm refreshments or daily feedings.

TRAVEL FOR FOOD:

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3 MUST VISIT AFFORDABLE CATALAN FOOD SPOTS IN BARCELONA

Speaking of Barcelona, I wanted to share three hidden gems with you all. I love exploring historical bodegas and eating traditional Catalan cuisine whenever I am in Catalonia. Please let me know if you do end up trying any of these places, I would love to hear what your experience was like.

1. Bodega Montferry

   1. I love this place so much! It’s always full of locals, filled with vibrant conversations, and endless plates of delicious Catalan dishes. Bodega Montferry is a great spot for lunch and a late night dinner. For lunch, I usually get their entrapa del dia (sandwich of the day), a glass of their house vermut, and a couple of croquettes. For dinner, especially great after a couple of beers, their traditional Catalan dishes such as cap i pota (tripe), mongetes amb botifarra (white beans and sausage), fricandó (Catalan beef stew) and many more. This place is beloved by so many including a food writer that refused to share its name in the fear of ruining it. My philosophy is to support such establishments so they can stay in business for as long as possible. The waiters and cooks of Bodega Montferry agreed with me, so don’t forget to share this recommendation!

2. Bar Cafe Mestres

   1. Came across this little gem randomly on a walk through the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi neighborhoods. This area is often neglected by tourists and it’s a real shame. There is a ton of delicious food, peaceful parks, and beautiful walks to be had. We decided to pop in for a quick bite and aperitif. This tiny but charming cafe is run by a husband and wife team and it has been in her family since the 1930s. The atmosphere was something out of a Parisian film. Honestly, places like these are becoming harder and harder to find in Barcelona, the cost of operating is climbing forcing many to close or go into retirement. One of my favorite historical bodegas was recently sold in the Gracia neighborhood and it now has a completely different vibe.

   

3. Gelida

   1. This place is unreal! Starting with the prices. Four dishes plus two beers was 22.10 euros! Yes, I have the receipt to back it up. We got the salted cod with white beans (photo below), pork cheeks with potatoes (photo below), a bowl on Catalan lentil soup, and botifarra sausage with potatoes. All four were bomb! The place is very unassuming but has a ton of charm and nothing will beat the quality of the food for the price, especially this close to the city center. This is a popular hang out spot for locals of the L'Esquerra de l’Eixample neighborhood. Gelida is a must visit for anyone looking to have a true Catalan experience with delicious home-style cooking!

   

   

RECIPE OF THE WEEK:

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Ukrainian Crepes with Ground Meat Filling / Налисники з м'ясом

There are hundreds of varieties of nalysnyky with different savory and sweet fillings. Nalysnyky is the Ukrainian name for stuffed crepes. This is one of my favorite savory versions, it is a flavor bomb! The savory meat filling and the lightly sweetened crepe make a great contrast of flavors resulting in a perfect pairing. I like to use an immersion blender for the batter, but you can use a blender—a trick I learned from my mom! You can make the filling ahead of time even the day before. These can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! This version is great for serving at parties. These are best eaten while still warm, so make sure to serve these immediately as they come off the stove!

Ingredients:

Meat Filling:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

• 1.5 cups onion, finely diced onion (1 medium onion)

• 1 lb ground pork, beef, turkey or lamb

• ½ teaspoon of mushroom soy (alternatively you can just use salt to season the filling)

• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper 

Batter:

• 3 Eggs

• 500 grams milk

• 4 tablespoons sugar

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt 

• 250 grams AP flour

• 150 grams boiling water 

• 3 tablespoons refined sunflower oil or any neutral oil

To Fry and Serve:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, clarified butter, or ghee

• Smetana (Ukrainian for sour cream), crème fraîche, or Greek yogurt

Method:

For the filling: 

1. In a saute pan or enameled dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat, add the finely diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. 

2. Now add the ground meat, soy, white pepper, and cook over medium heat until all of the moisture has evaporated and the ground meat mixture has crispy bits throughout the mixture, about 30 to 45 minutes. You can deglaze the pan once in a while with some stock. Set aside to cool.

For the batter: 

1. Place the eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and flour, in a mixing bowl and using an immersion blender mix until there are no lumps. Now gradually and carefully add the boiling water with the immersion blender running. Lastly, add the oil and give it a final mix. Let rest for 15 minutes to an hour in the fridge. Can be left in the fridge overnight. Note* You can do all of this in a regular blender, just add all of the ingredients except for boiling water and blend, once mixed slowly and carefully add the boiling water with the blender running.

2. Heat a non-stick pan, over medium-high heat, and pour enough batter to spread across the circumference of the pan. For a 10-inch pan I use about 1/4 cup of batter. Fry the crepes for 45 seconds to a minute on one side until golden, flip, and fry for another 20 to 30 seconds.

Put it together: 

1. Working with one crepe at a time, place two tablespoons of filling in the bottom middle of the crepe. Now roll the crepe to cover the filling, folding the right and left side of the crepe over the middle and rolling it up on itself, as you would a cabbage roll. Repeat with the remaining crepes. 

2. In the same pan you cooked the meat or in a non-stick pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter, over medium-high heat, place the filled crepes seam side down. For best results: put a chef’s press on top of the crepes to maximize cooking surface area. Fry until the underside of the crepe is golden brown and forms a crispy layer, flip and fry on the other side. Serve with a side of smetana, crème fraîche, or greek yogurt.

CHEESECAKES:

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A couple spots for 6-inch cheesecakes are left for Valentine’s Days!

BOOKS:

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Do you want to expand your cookbook collection with more Eastern European, Balkan, and Central Asian cookbooks? Check out my list for inspiration. Have you explored the diverse cooking and baking traditions of Macedonia? Katerina Nitsou’s Macedonia cookbook has some of the most delicious recipes I have ever eaten!

You can also check out my bookstore on PangoBooks! For all my local readers, if you ever want to pick up a book with your cheesecake let me know.

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