Sour Dough Bread

Ingredients

You must have Sour Dough Starter to complete this recipe.

• 1 CU Sour Dough Starter (or half of whatever is in your container – See Step #5)
• 1 CU flour (or equal amount to starter)… more flour later
• 3/4 CU water (heated)
• 1/2 TBL (or 1/2 package) yeast mixture
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Heat water to VERY warm to the touch, but not so hot that it is uncomfortable – about 40 seconds in the microwave.   If too hot, add an ice cube.
2. Mix yeast, sugar and water and let stand 5-10 minutes to activate (or proof)
3. Mix yeast mixture into Sour Dough Starter and mix well
4. Add flour to mixture
5. Split the flour mixture, returning half to the Sour Dough Starter container
6. Add flour to doughball, and keep adding until ball won’t absorb any more dry flour.
7. Knead for 8-10 minutes… (really!!)  Dough should eventually be tough like Play Dough, but more elastic.
8. Form into a glass bowl (for pizza) or bread pan to raise.
9. Let loaf rise for one hour
10. Bake (covered with foil) at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
    …
    Leave replenished starter on the counter for about five hours, then put it back in the fridger.

Special Steps

If your sour dough starter is running low, just double the items on the Ingredients list, and proceed with the Instructions as normal.

Sour dough from places such like San Francisco have their “special” taste because of the molds and yeasts indiginous to that area. If you pay for a Sour Dough Starter, it will have the taste of the area from which it originates initially, but as you halve the starter (each time you use it) the tell-tale taste will diminish each time, until it takes on the characteristics of YOUR region.

Make your own starter. See the recipe for Sour Dough Starter at this site.