Spending time indoors isn't always easy. Removed the first tidying up of the most forgotten corners, it is then necessary to work out valid alternatives. We read books, we go into gardening, we follow tutorials for practice some fitness. Then there are the Netflix movies and series always too short even when they last for 8 seasons! Are we a little greedy? Oh yes, especially when it comes to yeast and flour!
Yeast: the mystery of the out of stock product
If there is a great looted in recent times, it is surely him. The yeast. And we realize it just when we think we have had the idea of the century! Prepare a focaccia, a pizza or, why not, some stuffed bread. And then, not satisfied, we also throw ourselves on “exotic” recipes: let's make Pan Pita, the Greek one! So armed with good intentions we go to the supermarket. We have everything already planned, even the day of the week when we will unleash our cooking skills! Shopping ticket in hand we reach the shelf in question with a pompous step. But when we get there, there is a strange surprise waiting for us.
That shelf, which we usually take only a fleeting glance at, is now EMPTY! Empty? How is it possible? Ours which seemed such an original find! Do you want to see that someone, perhaps more than "some of one", had the same idea? Yep, that's right, but we shouldn't be surprised. We are Italians and in plenty of time there is also food. For a few weeks we have been wearing the "chef's hat" and dressed in this way we improvise pastry chefs, cooks and above all bakers! Here is the maximum peak of the assault on yeast stocks has perhaps been reached in the last few days. A product that has never been so popular, today it has suddenly become precious!
Precious gifts
A people with culinary aspirations cannot be left to "dry mouth"! Even if you find ready-made bread, scones and derivatives. But no, now that we have a lot of time we want to enjoy it by dedicating it to those slow processes in which waiting becomes a prelude to taste. Let's not forget that we are the country of Team Building, dish that makes us known all over the world! Which certainly does not mean that we know how to make excellent ones at home ... but, let's try! This is why there are others plundered alongside the yeast, albeit to a lesser extent. Flour and sauce. What to do then?
Some cities have decided to remedy the shortage of these products in supermarkets through special gifts. Thus in Bologna a local pastry shop has decided to distribute flour and yeast to the residents. But that's not all, alongside this gesture was followed by another that fully expresses the sense of gratitude that we all owe to doctors and nurses. So here's a succulent tray donuts was offered to the health workers of the departments dedicated to Covid-19. The same homage of yeast and flour took place in a small town in the Salerno area, in Perito, where the gifts were accompanied by the words of the Mayor. "Flour symbolizes rebirth, yeast symbolizes transformation, two foods to which we have entrusted our message of closeness ".
Artisan preparations
And if you don't find yeast, you can always opt for a homemade preparation. What do we need? The useful ingredients are few and simple. Flour and water but also patience and time. One hundred grams of water at room temperature to be mixed with fifty grams of type 0 flour. We form a homogeneous and possibly smooth ball. Then we engrave the surface by drawing a cross with the tip of a small knife and put everything in a glass jar covered with transparent film. It is important not to seal the package which will have to be punctured, using a toothpick, so that the yeast can breathe.
Then keep the jar in a cool, dry place for 48 hours, preferably next to ripening fruit. And if you have apples at home, so much the better! Among the preparatory ingredients we mentioned time and patience. Indeed the yeast needs to be refreshed cyclically 4 times every two days. Whenever you add the same amount of water and flour as you started with. The last steps include refreshments every 24 hours for a period of two weeks. A well-made mother yeast is tripled compared to its initial volume. For a long-lasting conservation it is advisable to store everything in the refrigerator, on the contrary if you plan to use it in a short time leave it at room temperature. You are now ready to indulge yourself in focaccia, pizzas and any other prepared according to your imagination.
