Sourdough bread

Yield: 1 servings

Measure Ingredient
2¼ teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
½ cup Warm Water; (110-F Degrees)
2 cups All-purpose Flour
2 cups Lukewarm Water
1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
2¼ teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
½ cup Warm Water; (110-F Degrees)
1½ cup Sourdough Starter Batter
1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1½ teaspoon Baking Soda
5 cups All-purpose Flour; (up to 6)

SOURDOUGH STARTER

SOURDOUGH BREAD

Makes 1 Large or 2 Medium Loaves The Cook and Kitchen Staff are offering you some of our best recipes from "Our Daily Bread" collection during the first part of this month. Today's recipe is for sourdough bread and it takes time to prepare, but your efforts will be greatly appreciated, because nothing holds a hunk of pastrami better than a fresh slice of sourdough.

Are you hungry yet? Better hold on to that thought because it takes at least 3 days to get your sourdough starter batter ready to make your bread.

Why so long? Your mother probably told you some time ago, "Anything good is worth the wait." Sourdough bread is good, and your mother was right.

To prepare your sourdough starter, dissolve yeast in the warm water in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour and lukewarm water, add sugar and salt. Beat until smooth with an electric mixer. Let stand 3 to 5 days uncovered at room temperature, making sure to stir 2 or 3 times a day. Cover at night to prevent drying.

To prepare your sourdough bread, soften active dry yeast in a large mixing bowl with ½ cup warm water. Blend in sourdough starter batter with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Add 3½ cups flour and beat with an electric mixer to combine, beating at least 3 to 4 minutes to blend thoroughly. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Mix baking soda with remaining flour and add to dough. Add enough flour to make the dough stiff. Turn out onto a floured board and knead 8 to 10 minutes. Shape into one large or 2 medium loaves and place on lightly greased baking sheet. With a sharp knife, slice diagonal cuts across top of dough. Let rise again until doubled.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400-F degrees. Medium loaves require about 35 to 40 minutes to bake; a large loaf takes about 40 to 45 minutes.

Kitchen Staff Tips: If you like the idea of keeping your sourdough bread-making efforts alive, you may elect to keep your sourdough starter batter going, indefinitely. To do so, add ½ cup water, ½ cup flour, and 1 teaspoon sugar to your starter and let stand for 2 days. Cover the sourdough starter batter and refrigerate until used again. If starter is not used within a couple of days, just add a teaspoon of granulated sugar every 10 days to keep it alive. Posted to dailyrecipe@... by Recipe-a-Day <recipe-a-day@...> on Sep 3, 1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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