It is strange, but sometimes little things make a big difference. I recently found a recipe for Sourdough Bread that sounded interesting. I have a recipe but the starter needs to be fed regularly. To be honest that makes it too difficult to keep going. This new recipe makes two batches of starter. Then you are done.

I read through the recipe and decided to try it. I knew quite a bit about sourdough bread but of course not everything there is to know. I knew that you used glass or ceramic bowls. I also did not chance using anything but my wooden spoon to mix with. That being said, I began my new adventure.

Sunday evening, I mixed up the starter. I followed their advice and put it in my oven with the light on overnight. Luckily, I placed a cookie sheet under the bowl because even though I used a bowl that held twice what I had mixed up, it overflowed. A word of caution here – be sure to use a two-quart bowl for the starter.

Monday morning, I began to use the starter to make my bread. You put the bread together as you would any type of yeast bread. I used my Tupperware fix and mix bowl for this process, but transferred to a crockery bowl to raise. I baked it in metal pans that were greased.

The whole process took a little more than a couple hours. The recipe said that it made three loaves of bread, but next time I will make only two large loaves.

All in all, the recipe worked very well. I have enough starter left to make another batch of bread. It tastes like other sourdough bread that I have had.

I much prefer this recipe because I do not have to feed it. I simply make two batches of bread within two weeks. One word of caution: be sure you have fresh yeast. I buy a bottle of yeast and keep it in my freezer. You can tell if your yeast is good by blooming the yeast. Put your yeast into a large mug of warm water and add a little bit of sugar. If it is good it will foam up.

STARTER FOR SOURDOUGH BREAD

1 pkg or 1 tablespoon of yeast

2 c. of warm water

2 c. of flour

Let this ferment overnight. Use half of it or 1 c. to make a batch of bread. Refrigerate the rest. Use the leftover starter within two weeks.

Be sure to let the starter come to room temperature before using it for the second batch.

SOURDOUGH BREAD

¼ c. sugar or 1/8 c. honey

½ c. oil

1 ½ T. salt

1 c. starter

1 ½ c. water

about 6 c. flour

Make a stiff dough. Knead for several minutes on a floured surface adding flour. I think that the kneading process is therapeutic. Place in a greased bowl and turn it over to grease all sides. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down. Divide dough into two pieces. Place in greased loaf pans. Grease top with oil. Let rise until doubled in size.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 min. Remove from pans and let cool on a wire rack. I brushed butter on top of the loaves after removing them from the pan.

If you like to make bread, I hope you will try this method. It is delicious!

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell. Contact her at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.