Title: Sourdough Starter 0
Categories: Bread
Yield: 3 Servings

2 1/8	c	Warm water (about 45 c)
4	c	Flour
1/4	oz	Active dry yeast (optional)

Recipe by: Bill Turner Hewlett-Packard Personal Software Division, Sant 1. Get a container for the starter. Crockery is best, but just about anything can be used, except metal. Try to get something with a lid. I use a vinyl plas tic food-storage container.

2. Mix flour and water (and optionally yeast).

3. Let the starter sit (uncovered or loosely covered) in a warm place until bub bly and sour, about 3-5 days.

Author's Notes: Many people think of sourdough as something from the Gold Rush days. Not so ! Sourdough was the first way raised breads were made. ``Way back then,'' there was no such thing as active dry yeast, and all breads (along with a number of o ther goodies) needed sourdough starter to rise. There are a number of recipes fo r sourdough starter, but this is one I've used, and it works fairly well. It cam e originally from the cookbook The Complete Sourdough Cookbook by Don Holm.

If you do a lot of bread baking, there will probably be enough yeast spores floating around your kitchen so that the added yeast isn't needed. The less yea st you add to the starter, the more ``authentic'' the flavor. If the starter sta rts turning orange or green, throw it away. Other nasty things have started gro wing in it! After the starter is ready, it can be used immediately. Try to use some of the starter once every few days, or it will start to die. The starter c an be refrigerated to last longer (use at least every other week). Make sure th e starter is at room temperature before using. After using some of the starter, replenish what you take with equal amounts of warm water and flour. Let the sta rter sit until nice and bubbly before using again. Usually, the first starter ma de will need a while to ``come up to strength.'' Best

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