Sourdough Bread

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This sweet sourdough bread is a family favorite. It has a mild flavor and a super soft texture. Everyone loves it.

Over 20 years ago, my pastor’s wife gave me a small container of her sourdough starter. She gave me a simple page of instructions to go with it. This bread is pretty simple to make and the starter is easy to maintain. It has a potato-based starter. It’s mildly sour, but not very. It’s a wonderful sandwich bread.

This always took me roughly two full days to make, start to finish. I’d get the starter out in the morning and feed it, and let that rise/bubble all day.

That evening, I’d mix the starter into dough, and let it sit on the counter overnight.

In the morning, I’d shape into loaves and let it rise again. It would generally be ready to bake by about that evening, depending on how quickly it rose and how warm it was in the house.

Here is the recipe the way it was typed for me. I’ve included a printable recipe at the bottom of the post as well.

Sourdough Bread

To Make Starter:
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs. instant potato flakes
1 cup warm water
1 envelope (or 1 Tbs.) yeast

Mix all ingredients and let stand 8-10 hours or until mixture is frothy on top.  You will want to feed it several times before trying to bake bread with it the first time.  Brand new starter isn’t strong enough to bake bread with.  In between feedings, the starter should be stored in the refrigerator.

Feed Starter:
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs. instant potato flakes
1 cup warm water

After feeding starter, let stand out of fridge, all day (8-10 hrs.). Will be very bubbly. Take one cup for bread and return rest to fridge. You should feed every 3 to 5 days. Always take one cup out after it is fed and sits all day.

Make Bread:
Make stiff batter of:
1 cup starter
1 Tbs. Salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup corn oil
6 cups Pillsbury bread flour

Mix all of the above together. Grease a large bowl, put dough in and turn over to grease the top. Loosely cover and let rise overnight or all day.

After rising, punch down and divide into 3 parts. *

Knead each part 8 to 10 times. Put into 3 greased loaf pans. Let stand 4 to 6 hrs or until risen. All day is fine.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.

* May add cinnamon or whatever when kneading the 3 parts before putting into pans.

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