19-05-2014

Renato Bosco and Figli di Pasta Madre

Illustrating the evolution of a project for an association dedicated to mother yeast

Pizza-researcher Renato Bosco, here on the stage o

Pizza-researcher Renato Bosco, here on the stage of the tenth edition of Identità Golose together with Paolo Marchi, a few weeks ago presented his idea for the creation of Figli di Pasta Madre, FDP: an association but also a quality mark to add to products prepared with mother yeast, such as those made in his Saporè in San Martino Buon Albergo (Verona)

Germination. This is the word that comes to my mind when I think of what is happening lately, ever since, a few weeks ago, I wrote the first article on Pasta Madre Viva on this website. Germination is a process defined as the “beginning of the creation of a new organism, the development of a new entity starting from a seed”: in my case, Figli di Pasta Madre Viva was this seed, the idea that was born among friends and that, always among friends, continues to develop itself, day after day, rooting itself deeply into a lively and fertile soil.

I’m happy, optimist and strongly enthusiast. No day goes by without someone looking for me to share a new intuition, a brilliant thought, a stimulating idea. The germination of the FDP looks like a happy and contagious laugh that is being shared by an increasingly larger group of bread, pizza and pastry makers: ever since I offered to create FDP many colleagues have contacted me, not only to compliment themselves for this project, of which I believe, after all, I’m the coordinator rather than the inventor, but most of all to ask me what it means, in practice, to be part of the Associazione degli FDP, how it works, and, most importantly, in my opinion, how to become a member.

Bread made with mother yeast and cheese, held in the hands of Renato Bosco

Bread made with mother yeast and cheese, held in the hands of Renato Bosco

I was profoundly and positively struck when I learnt that the idea of FDP stimulated professionals as big as Ezio Marinato, Gabriele Bonci and Vincenzo Tiri, - just to name a few - , all great artisans who thanks to their work contribute every day in spreading the art of making pizza and making it ever more noble. I hope to be able to involve them soon in an active way, into this project, and together with them, and thanks to them, attract an even larger number of Figli di Pasta Madre, who, from north to south, would share the rules and the processes and the caring of the true Pasta Madre Viva.

It’s not only colleagues who are looking for me: very often it’s friends and clients from my restaurant who congratulate me for this project, declaring that “it was really about time that someone would start to think about it!” and when I hear these words I think that we’re going in the right direction. This is why FDP has already become real: drawn by this enthusiasm, together with a few close collaborators we’ve decided to create the figlidipastamadre.it website, which is already active and visible. It will soon be a place for sharing and discussion, not just among dough-artisans, but also among all the professionals who work in the field of food, from doctors to nutritionist, from agronomists to millers, from researches to food technicians.

Even panettone can be made with mother yeast

Even panettone can be made with mother yeast

Moreover we’re busily at work with the publication of a real set of rules called Disciplinare dei Figli di Pasta Madre, which will state what is Pasta Madre Viva and will allow all those who use it and support it to freely become part of the project, personally committing themselves so that their products will follow the rules. This Disciplinare degli FDP will not be a set of strict codes to follow or else be prosecuted. Instead, adhering to it will be a totally free choice, in which the “control” of one’s work will be done every day by each Figlio Di Pasta Madre in a honest and autonomous way, following what can be simply called professional ethics.

I invite all the colleagues who are interested to become FDP, all the professionals who have the will and the courage to get personally involved: help me to spread the germination of Pasta Madre Viva. Call me, write to me, explain your ideas: we know very well a healthy contamination is necessary to obtain a lively fermentation!


Chefs' life stories

Men who, for a moment, leave pots and pans to tell us their experience and point of view

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GUIDE 2016