30 g fruit (apple, grapes or apricot, according to the season and availability)70 g plain flour (Italian “tipo 0”)30 ml slightly sparkling water
Grate the apple (or squash the other fruit) and, in a bowl, mix with the other ingredients until you have a smooth dough. Use the tip of a knife to cut an X on the surface, cover with a cotton cloth and leave to rest for 48 hours, at 28 °C, in a moderately damp environment. You can use your oven, leaving the light on and putting a small bowl of water in it, which will evaporate slowly and constantly (if it’s a particularly rainy or humid day, you can do without the water). After 48 hours the “mother dough” (as sourdough starter is called in Italian) will have tripled in size; at this point you should “refresh” it with about 7 ml of sparkling water and let it rest, at 28 °C, for another 4 hours. Now take the starter, “squeeze” out the excess water with your hands, and it’s ready to be used.