Sourdough Bread Recipe

I kinda bastardize this recipe taken from "Alaska Sourdough" by Ruth Allman. I highly recommend this sourdough book. The only parts typed in the whole thing are the copyright page and back cover, the rest is handwritten print and drawing. This book opened me up to sourdough, not just recipes, the Alaska sourdough story, who knew there was one? I didn't, interested in sourdough? this book will get you started, if you get no inspiration, i'll buy it from you and give it to someone I know, keep your receipt.

Understand the chemistry of any recipe, what each thing is there for. Take away, add, or change however you see fit:

Basic Sourdough Bread:

2 cups Sourdough Starter
1 cup Water/ Potato Water [plain water will use more flour]
1/4 Sugar [evaporated cane sugar/ small amount mollasses]
<=3 tbsp Oil [can even not use any/ Olive Oil absolutely]
1/2 tsp Salt [Sea Salt]
5 Cups Flour [mostly white/ at most if used 1 cup Wheat]

1. Make Soft Sponge: Mix Sourdough, Sugar, Water, & Oil
2. Add 1/2 of the Flour: Mix well
3. First Rise: Cover and let double in size
4. Add Remainder of flour & Salt: enough to make it easy enough to handle
5. Lightly knead it around for a couple of minutes, make it smooth all thru
6. Second Rise: Cover with damp cloth and let double
7. Full Knead: 10 to 15 minutes... feel like closer to 15, the feel gradually changes. you can feel the glutonous strands stretching and strengthening.
8. Third/Final Rise: Cover with damp cloth and let double
9. Form into loaf(s), let set 15mins
10. Bake on Hot Pizza Stone or Cookie Sheet
400deg for 55mins [more for larger loaves, less for small]

Since I can't own a Basset Hound, my pets are the millions of little yeasties in my sourdough culture.