Li.Co.Li.: the liquid Lievito Madre as a pizza preferment
What Li.Co.Li. is
Li.Co.Li. stands for Lievito Madre in Coltura Liquida - mother dough kept in a liquid feed. It’s the Italian take on a sourdough starter, but instead of the firm classic Lievito Madre Solido it’s run at 100% hydration: equal parts flour and water by weight, plus a small share of mature predecessor culture. The result is a thick, bubbly culture that’s easy to stir, weigh and dose evenly.
Li.Co.Li. has gained traction in Italian pizzerias in recent years because, compared to a firm mother dough, it has two practical advantages: it stays more active (higher water activity = more active yeasts) and is easier to maintain, since you stir it instead of kneading. For the home baker that means less ritual, more lift, same flavour family.
Li.Co.Li. vs. sourdough vs. Biga vs. Poolish
| Li.Co.Li. | Sourdough (classic) | Biga | Poolish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leavening | Wild yeasts + lactic acid bacteria | Wild yeasts + lactic acid bacteria | Commercial yeast | Commercial yeast |
| Hydration | 100% | 50-70% (firm starter) | 44-50% | 100% |
| Consistency | Liquid, viscous | Firm, kneadable | Crumbly, flaky | Liquid |
| Maintenance | Stir, 1:1:1 refresh | Knead, frequent re-feeding | - | - |
| Flavour | Mildly sour, fruity, complex | More sour, sharper | Nutty, slight acidity | Mildly sweet, yeasty |
| Digestibility | Very good | Very good | Good | Good |
| Yeast in main dough | None | Optional (yeast support) | Yeast booster | Yeast booster |
| Minimum total time | 12 hours | 12 hours | 16 h preferment + main dough | 8 h preferment + main dough |
| Entry level | Intermediate | Intermediate-Advanced | Advanced | Beginner-Intermediate |
In short: Li.Co.Li. is sourdough - but handled like Biga or Poolish. It’s a pure wild culture without commercial yeast, but the workflow (weigh, stir in, no salt, no second yeast source) is closer to a classic preferment than to a fed levain.
When does Li.Co.Li. pay off?
- You want a sourdough flavour without the harsh edge of a vinegar-heavy firm starter.
- You bake regularly (at least every 1-2 weeks), so the maintenance is worth it.
- You’re already using Biga or Poolish and want to move to a wild culture without changing your entire workflow.
- You want more predictability than a firm Lievito Madre: 100% hydration makes the activity more reproducible.
For occasional bakers (every 4-6 weeks), keeping a Li.Co.Li. isn’t worth it - a classic sourdough in the fridge is more forgiving, or stick with direct doughs plus Biga/Poolish.
Starting and maintaining a Li.Co.Li.
If you don’t have a starter yet, you can build a Li.Co.Li. from flour and water in 5-7 days - essentially like a classic sourdough, but every refresh follows the 1:1:1 ratio (starter : flour : water by weight). A typical refresh cycle:
- Take the mature Li.Co.Li. out of the fridge, scoop a portion (e.g. 20 g).
- Feed 1:1:1: 20 g Li.Co.Li. + 20 g flour (Tipo 0 or Manitoba) + 20 g water (22-24°C), stir smooth.
- Let it ripen: 4-6 hours at room temperature until it doubles and the surface is bubbly.
- Use or fridge again: either bake now or store cold until next time.
On bake day the Li.Co.Li. is refreshed 8-12 hours ahead. Only then does it reach full leavening power. A well-kept Li.Co.Li. smells slightly alcoholic and fruity, never sharp like nail polish remover.
How the calculator in PizzaPlan works
In PizzaPlan Pro, Li.Co.Li. is a dedicated preferment type. You enter total dough weight, main-dough hydration and total fermentation time - the app calculates:
- Li.Co.Li. quantity: how much mature Li.Co.Li. goes into the main dough.
- Remaining amounts in the main dough: flour, water and salt - already adjusted for what’s already in the Li.Co.Li.
- No added yeast: unlike Biga or Poolish, the app does not include a yeast booster. The lift comes entirely from the wild culture.
- Step-by-step schedule: from refreshing the mother to mixing the bake-day Li.Co.Li., the main dough and the final bake, with timings matched to your room temperature.
You can also tell the app that your mother is already refreshed - it then skips the refresh step. Everything runs offline, no account required.
Common Li.Co.Li. mistakes
- Not refreshed: straight from the fridge into the dough - not enough lift. Always feed 1:1:1 about 8-12 hours ahead.
- Too little mother: after long gaps between bakes, one refresh isn’t enough. Do two cycles 6-8 hours apart, then bake.
- Run too warm: above 26°C acidity turns sharp fast. In summer keep it in the lower fridge (4-8°C) and ripen longer.
- Mixed with salt: salt inhibits the culture. Salt goes into the main dough only, never into the Li.Co.Li.
- Wrong flour type: low-protein Tipo 00 won’t sustain the lift. For the mother use at least Tipo 0 or Manitoba (W ≥ 300).
Which pizza style suits Li.Co.Li.?
Li.Co.Li. works with every style in PizzaPlan - but it shines with longer fermentation times and medium-to-high hydration:
- Neapolitan (60-65% hydration, 24-48 h total): wild lift gives the crumb a fruity, gently sour character.
- Pizza in Pala / Romana (70-85% hydration, 48-72 h total): the long cold proof develops complex aromas without acidity taking over.
- Pan pizza / Teglia (medium hydration, 24 h cold): particularly digestible, since fermentation also breaks down starches.
For very short fermentations (under 12 hours) Li.Co.Li. doesn’t pay off - the wild culture needs time to develop flavour and lift.
Who built PizzaPlan?
PizzaPlan comes from Forstinning near Munich, written by Christoph. The Li.Co.Li. calculator exists because, after years of working with Biga and Poolish, moving to a wild liquid culture is the natural next step - and the maths gets tedious. The app handles the maths. More about the app on the about page.
Li.Co.Li. is part of PizzaPlan Pro. A one-time 2.99 € (no subscription) unlocks Biga, Poolish, Li.Co.Li., 50+ flour brand profiles, sweet yeast doughs and all future pro features. If you prefer to bake with a classic firm sourdough: the sourdough workflow is free. Play Store · App Store.