Sourdough Starter and Bread

I've been meaning to work on getting sourdough down pat for a very long time.  Now it's time to quit procrastinating.  One of the other goals is to perfect capturing yeast so that I can make bread even if I run out of commercial yeast.  However, that's for later.  Today, we'll just stick with the store-bought stuff and improve the bread-making skills.

Making the sourdough starter is quite simple.  

Sourdough Starter

2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar


Put warm water into a bowl or jar with greater than one-quart capacity.  I like to use 1.5-quart canning jars.  Sprinkle the yeast over water and stir until dissolved.  Add in the flour and sugar and mix until smooth.  Cover and set aside 36-48 hours.  Stir 3-4 times per day. This starter is now ready to use.

When you remove any starter to use in a recipe, you must replace it with a volume equal to what you removed to keep it going.  For example, if you removed 2 cups of starter, you must mix in 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of water into the remaining starter.  Let it stand in a warm place for at least 6 hours and then cover and store in the refrigerator.  Flour and water are all that is needed to keep the starter going.  Use it at least every two weeks and feed as you use it. 

Sourdough Bread
5 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sourdough starter
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon salt


In a large bowl, dissolve the salt in the water. Stir in the flour and the starter. Knead until the dough is smooth and form it into a ball. Put in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise overnight.  However, the time necessary for the dough to double in volume can vary greatly and be as little as a few hours. The time varies on the strength of the starter and the temperature in the kitchen.

Punch the dough down and divide it in half. Form it into balls or loaves and slash the top if desired. Place on a greased baking sheet or in a loaf pan and allow it to rise about 4 hours or until doubled in volume. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Bake loaves for 35 minutes. For a softer crust, spritz the oven walls with water several times during baking, then cover the loaves when they cool.

Let bread cool completely before slicing. 

Family reviews:  Well, sourdough starter eventually takes on the wild yeasts that are in your own environment.  San Francisco sourdough tastes different from sourdough in the Midwest.  Even if someone in flyover country buys official San Francisco sourdough starter, eventually it's going to lose its San Francisco-ness and gain Midwest-ness.  Sad but true.

That said, this sourdough isn't as sour as we would prefer, but it works.  When you take into account that it's pretty good bread and doesn't require eggs, milk, oil, fresh yeast, or honey or sugar, all of which could be in short supply, it's fabulous.