Sourdough Starter
There are dozens of methods to make a starter, this one has worked for me consistently, courtesy of my pal, Miss Adelaide Fletcher from Indianola.
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant potatoes
1 cup warm water
Mix all together in a jar or bowl. Cover and leave on counter all day or 8 hours. This will bubble up. Remove one cup and refrigerate remainder covered. Feed the starter every 3 to 7 days, removing 1 cup to make bread or discard. To feed starter, after removing 1 cup, add 1 cup warm water, 3 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes, and 3 tablespoons sugar. Mix with starter and return to refrigerator.
Simple Sourdough
This is a delicious, tangy, forgiving bread dough. With its moist, spongy crumb and crispy crust, it is great for sandwiches and toast. For whole wheat bread use more wheat flour than bread flour.
4 cups plus more bread flour
1 cup plus more whole wheat flour
1¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sourdough starter
2 cups lukewarm water
In a large bowl, stir together flours and salt. Add starter to flour mixture. Using a wood spoon or Danish dough hook, add warm water and combine. Once dough comes together, switch to a bowl scraper and give dough a few more turns, mixing until everything is combined. Cover bowl and let dough rest until it rises and nearly doubles in size. Overnight is best. Lightly grease a loaf pan or springform pan. Using a bowl scraper, move dough to center of bowl, gently deflating. Continue for an additional 30 seconds or until dough comes together in a bouncy, elastic mass that that easily scrapes over edge of bowl into a prepared pan. Smooth top of dough with wet fingers. Cover with a thin towel or bowl cover and let rise in a warm place, about 3 to 5 hours.
When dough has risen to about 1 inch of rim, preheat oven to 425 degrees with baking rack in center of oven. Place pan in oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until top is pale brown, crisp, and sides pull away from pan. Internal temperature of bread should read about 205 degrees with a digital thermometer. Remove from oven and turn out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely. Store, well wrapped, at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.
Yield: 1 loaf