Sourdough Starter, Tips, and Bread Recipe

Sourdough Starter

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 cup all-purpose flour

Step-by-step Directions

1. In large glass jar, mix together dry yeast and 1 cup warm water.  Once the yeast "blooms" (a slight poof or growth of the yeast; this takes several minutes). add 1 cup all-purpose flour and cover loosely.

2. Leave in a warm place on a cookie sheet (in case of overflow) to ferment for 4 to 8 days. On Day 2, stir in another 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup warm water to feed the starter.  Depending on temperature and humidity of kitchen, times may vary.  Check on the starter occasionally.

3. When mixture is bubbly and has a pleasant sour smell, it is ready to use. If mixture has a pink,
orange, or any other strange color tinge to it, THROW IT OUT! and start over. Keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

4. When you use starter to bake, always replace with equal amounts of a flour and water mixture
with about a teaspoon of sugar. So, if you remove 1 cup starter, replace with 1 cup water and 1 cup flour. Make sure to leave the starter out on the counter for a day after replacing the flour, water, and sugar.  The starter can then be placed back in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it again.

Starter Tips:

Make sure that the water is warm, not hot, not cold.  If it's hot, the yeast will die.  If it's cold, the yeast won't bloom.  If the water is warm to the touch, it should be fine.

If a clear to light brown liquid has accumulated on top, don't worry, this is an alcohol base liquid that occurs with fermentation. Just stir this back into the starter, the alcohol bakes off and that wonderful
sourdough flavor remains.

Sourdough starters improve with age; The older the starter, the more fragrant and "sour" the bread. These starters used to be, and still are, passed down from generation to generation.  Bill's Grandmother's starter was 60 years old!


Bill's Sourdough Bread

Serves: 12

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Ready In: 3 Hours 40 Minutes

Ingredients

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon wheat gluten

2 tablespoons wheat flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups sourdough starter

3 tablespoons margarine, melted

4 cups bread flour (at least)

Step-by-step Directions

1. Warm the milk until it is warm, but not hot, to the touch. Then add 1 tbsp sugar, the salt, and the
yeast. Stir and allow to proof for about 5 minutes.

2. Mix the wheat gluten, wheat flour, and remaining sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the

sourdough starter and the butter, and mix well. After the yeast has proofed, mix into the remaining
ingredients.

3. Add flour a cup at a time, mixing well as you add. When mixture is too thick to stir, knead by
hand while adding more flour until dough is firm to touch.

4. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in it, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set in a
warm place to rise until doubled. (about 90 minutes)

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and separate into two halves. Form each half
into a loaf and place into a greased baking dish.

6. Cover the loaves and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 350F.

8. Bake the bread at 350F for 35 minutes, until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when
tapped. Let cool on a wire rack.

9. If you want to make half of the dough into buns, divide that half into 6 equal parts, form into
flattened balls, and place the balls on a baking sheet which has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
Allow to rise as above.

10. Preheat the oven to 425F.

11. Bake the buns at 425F for 18 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.