Lisa's Sour Dough Bread
Equipment
- cheesecloth
- glass canning jar
Ingredients
Starter
- 1 pkg dry yeast
- ½ c lukewarm water ((115 °F))
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 c warm water
- 2½ c all purpose flour
Starter Feed
- 3 tbsp instant potato flakes
- ¾ c sugar
- 1 c warm water
Bread
- ½ c sugar
- ½ c vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 c starter
- 1½ c warm water
- 6 c plain flour
Optional (bread)
- ½ c warm whole milk or cream
Instructions
Making the starter
- Mix 1 pkg dry yeast with ½ c lukewarm water .
- In a separate bowl, mix 2 c warm water, 2 tbsp sugar, and 2½ c all purpose flour.
- Put in a glass mason jar. Cover the top with cheesecloth and secure cheesecloth with rubber bands or a mason jar ring.
- Keep at room temperature for 5 days. It should be foamy and have a yeasty aroma.
Feeding the starter
- Mix ¾ c sugar, 3 tbsp instant potato flakes, and 1 c warm water well. Add to starter.
- Let fed starter stand at room temperature all day or overnight (12 hours).
- Either reserve 1 c starter for bread or sharing, or refrigerate for 3-5 days. Make bread anytime by allowing 1 cup to reach room temperature.
- Feed once a week, whether you make bread or not.
Bread
- In a large bowl blend ½ c sugar, ½ c vegetable oil, 1 tbsp salt, 1 c starter, 1½ c warm water, and 6 c plain flour to make a stiff batter. If too sticky add more flour. Optionally, in place of ½ c water use ½ c warm whole milk or cream for sweet rolls.
- Grease another bowl, add dough and turn to grease on all sides. Lightly cover and let stand all day or overnight at room temperature.
- After letting dough stand or on the next morning, punch down the dough and knead a few times.
- Divide dough in half, kneading each part 8-10 times. Place in 2 greased bread pans.
- Brush tops with melted margarine. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Uncover, and bake at 350 °F for 30-35 minutes until done.
Notes
You can vary this as much as you want, adding more cream and butter for Parker House rolls, roll out into cinnamon rolls, etc.
