Sourdough Starter and a Simple Bread Recipe

In a comment for my last post, a student mentioned her dad's sourdough starter. I thought I'd pass along some web sites that have instructions on how to create and care for a starter.

Try http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm. I found some good instructions there, as well as at http://www.countrylife.net/. Follow the links on this one. Or, just do a search on "sourdough starter" in any search engine. You should be able to find an easy recipe for that.

What you need to remember about starters is that (1) you need to feed it regularly and (2) you need to use it once in a while. If you don't do either, it turns into a sour-smelling lump of squishy dough and becomes useless! Trust me on this. And any site that provides the starter recipe will also provide directions on how to use it!

And, since I love to bake bread, let me pass on a really simple bread recipe:

2 2/3 cups Self-rising flour (this is important--it has to be self-rising, because that has the salt, soda, etc. in it)
Stir in any brand 12 oz. beer (doesn't matter if it's cheap or expensive)

Stir in half of the beer (no sipping!), mix well, then stir in the rest. The dough will be wet. Divide into two margarine-greased 9x5 loaf pans; bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, remove from oven and turn onto wire rack to cool.

Tender on the inside, slightly crusty on the outside. It's almost as easy as using Bisquick! This is good bread, fit for company, even!