How to make sour dough bread

Here you will learn step by step how to make a starter, how to feed it, when to feed it and how to use it to make your sour dough bread. This recipe will make 3 beautiful loaves (one for you and 2 to share or freeze for later) Also, I have included the amount(s) if you just want to make one loaf below. Have fun !!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• instant potato flakes
• sugar
• water
• yeast
• salt
• corn oil
• bread flour
• cheesecloth
• rubberband
• plastic or glass containers and utensils
• 3- 5 1/2x9x21/2" baking pans

1. The first thing you have to do to make sour dough bread is make the starter. There are many recipes for this and the best one I have found is this one:
   3 rounded tablespoons instant potato flakes
   1/2 cup sugar
   1 cup warm water (110 to 115°)
   1/8 teaspoon yeast
   Do not use metal utensils at all when making sour dough bread. Plastic or glass only. Put the warm water in a small bowl and add the yeast. Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon until dissolved. Then mix in the sugar and potato flakes.
2. Pour into a plastic or glass container and cover loosely. I take a piece of cheesecloth and place over the mouth of a quart jar and put a rubber band around it. Then set I set it where it can't be disturbed and let it set for 2 or 3 days. It becomes bubbly and sour-smelling (like beer)
3. After the couple of days are up, set it in refrigerator tightly covered. After 2 or 3 days, take it out and feed it with:
   1 cup warm water (110 to 115°)
   3/4 cup sugar
   3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
4. Now let it sit out on the counter or somewhere safe for 8 hours. Then it is ready to use in your loaf of sour dough bread. Stir the starter with a wooden spoon and then take out 1 cup to put in your sour dough bread. Put the cover back on your starter and place back in refrigerator for later use. It will need "feeding" again in 5 days. (More on the starter later in article) Lets get started making your bread.
5. Ingredients for sour dough bread:(this will make 3 loaves)
   1 cup of starter
   1 1/2 cups warm water (110 to 115°)
   1/3 cup sugar
   1 teaspoon salt
   1/2 cup corn oil
   6 cups bread flour
6. Before you start, get a large plastic or glass bowl and grease the bottom and sides well and set aside. Then in another large glass or plastic bowl mix the ingredients until you have a stiff dough. Put it in the greased bowl. Turn the dough over so that greased side is up and cover with plastic wrap. Let set in a draft-free place until doubled in size. This could take up to 12 hours or more.
7. When your dough has risen it is ready for the next step. Prepare a floured surface and pour dough out onto it. Knead the dough 8-10 times. Let it rest. Grease the 3 pans or use cooking spray. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts and shape into loaves and put into pans.Cover and let rise until doubled in size. Preheat oven and bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.
   To have a shiny, brown top on your bread, separate an egg and save the white. Mix 2 tablespoons water with the egg white and brush on top of the loaves and finish baking. When baking is complete, brush tops of loaves with margarine while still warm. Enjoy.
8. 3 loaves of sour dough bread. They look crinkley because of the butter I put on top of them. If you only want to make 1 loaf here are the amounts to use:
   starter: 1/2 cup
   warm water: 3/4 cup
   sugar: 1/8 cup
   salt: 3/4 teaspoon
   corn oil: 1/4 cup
   bread flour: 3 cups
   And use the same directions as above. (you can adjust the amounts of salt and sugar to your tastes)

Tips & Warnings

• To keep your starter alive "feed" it every 5 days. If your starter builds up too much for your container, pour some out as long as you keep one cup for making bread.
• Starter can be frozen after you make it and it has set for 5 days. To use: thaw out to room temperature and feed it. Proceed on to make bread.
• You can take one cup of starter to make bread up to the 3rd day after feeding it.
• After your bread cools, wrap it in heavy duty foil or good quality plastic wrap and freeze it for later use.
• Never use metal bowls or utensils when making sour dough bread. It will kill the starter.
• Make sure your water is not too hot.
• Your starter might turn an off-white color, that is OK, but if it turns orange or pinkish red, discard and start over. It will have a sour smell like alcohol, but if it takes on a rancid smell discard and make another batch.
• Do not refrigerate your bread. Freezing works great but the coolness in the fridge will dry it out.
• If you make bread with yeast often, you are probably used to the dough rising in about an hour. With sour dough bread, it can take up to 12 or more hours because of the starter. So allow plenty of time for making your sour dough bread. It has to rise 2 times and it does take a while.