Sour Dough Bread

I finally did it! I made a delicous (edible) loaf of sourdough bread!  This was one of the 12 things that I was hoping to learn this year. Thank-you to a kind friend who gave me some of her starter, which she said she begun in 1997.  She also handwritten the entire recipe for me! I couldn't believe how easy this recipe was and plan to make it every week. Yesterday I used the sour dough to make some bread as well as some coffee cinnamon rolls. I can't believe I finally found the perfect recipe and that I don't need a Kitchenaid mixer afterall to make a good loaf of bread.

I thought I'd share the recipe for those interested.

Sour-Dough Bread Starter

Ingredients:

Starter (first time):

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup sugar

1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast
3 Tablespoons instant potato flakes

First Time Starter Directions:

Mix warm water and yeast together until dissolved, add sugar and potato flakes. Let ferment on counter for 3-5 days. Then feed with starter feeder (below). If you get starter from someone else, you can omit this step. I would highly recommend trying to find someone to share 1 cup of their starter with you. It takes several loafs of bread before you get that real "sour-doughy" taste.

Feed the starter directions:
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant potato flakes
Place ingredients in a bowl and add entire starter and cover with a cloth napkin.
Let this stand at room temperature for 8-10 hours or more- it will start to bubble- you can even hear it!

To make the bread mix the following:
1 cup starter (that has just been out all day)
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
6 cups BREAD flour

Mix well and put in a greased bowl.
Cover and let rise til double- this will take approximately 8 hours or more.
Punch down and put in 2 greased loaf pans covered by a cloth napkin and let rise again for 2-3 hours.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Pour remaining starter back in jar with lid in the refrigerator.

Turn out of pans onto a cooling rack. I rub butter or oleo on the top crst to keep the crust soft. This is the BEST straight out of the oven!

Sour-Dough Tips:

1. I feed my starter in the morning.
2. Mix up bread the night before and let sit on kitchen counter all nights in a cloth covered bowl.
3. Next morning it should be ready to punch down and put in loaf pans.
4. Cover with a cloth in the loaf pans and sit on the counter most of the day and should be ready to bake and eat by supper time.

Keep the unused starter in a clean jar in the refrigerator with the date on jar when you last fed it. (you can also write on a calendar) It needs to be fed at least once a week to keep active. If you dont want to make bread a particular week just feed the starter, let set out 10 hours then put it back in the refrigerator. This can also be used to make a double batch of bread at a later time. You always need to leave yourself at least a cup of starter or more in the jar.

Note: If you put dough in loaf pans and it should rise to big before you get home to bake it- punch down and let it come up to a rise again. It will be fine.

*You can also use the dough to make cinnamon rolls! I just split the dough in half and make 1 bread and 1 batch of rolls.