There is nothing better than the smell of bread baking in the kitchen. Sourdough bread is a special type of bread that uses wild yeast and bacteria from a “mother sponge” starter. A bakery in San Francisco claims that it has been using a starter that started in 1859. This process uses natural yeast instead of yeast cultures to make it grow. Since the starter is dependent on air temperature, humidity, and elevation, each sourdough takes on the unique characteristics of where it is baked. Sourdough baked in San Francisco will taste very different than one baked in Atlanta.

Here’s a recipe for making your own starter and batches of sour dough bread.

Sour Dough Bread Starter

1/2 cup Idahoan brand instant potato flakes
2 cups of lukewarm water
1/2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 package of instant dry yeast

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of water. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Place it in a plastic container with a cover that has holes in it. DO NOT PLACE IT IN A METAL BOWL! Keep at room temperature for 24 hours.

Take out and feed with the following mixture:

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Idahoan Brand Instant Potato Flakes
1 cup of lukewarm water

Mix well before adding starter. Let stand outside the refrigerator (8 – 12 hours). The mixture will be bubbly. Take out a cup to make your bread and place the rest in the fridge. Keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days and feed again with the above mixture. If you don’t make bread after feeding the starter, discard a cup. This will prevent the starter from going flat.

sourdough bread

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup of corn oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup sour dough starter
1 1/2 cups of warm water
6 cups of bread flour

In an extra-large mixing bowl (do not use a metal bowl), mix the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Add the wet ingredients all at once and mix to make a stiff dough. Grease another bowl. Lay out the dough and turn so that the oiled part is on top. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. Do not refrigerate. This is great to do right before you go to bed.

The next morning, punch out the dough and knead a little. Divide into 3 equal parts and knead each part on a floured surface 8 to 10 times. Place in 3 non-metallic pans and brush with oil or spray with cooking spray. Cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Let rise 4 – 5 hours or all day. Let grow while you’re at work. When you get home from work, it’s ready to bake.

Bake at 325 for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 and bake for an additional 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove from the molds and let cool.

Bread freezes well.