Potato Flake Sourdough Starter

Potato Flake Sourdough Starter
and bread recipe Revised

To make from scratch:
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast
3 level Tablespoons instant potato flakes

Using a good quart canning jar, mix water, sugar, yeast, and potato flakes. Let this ferment on counter for two days.

Feed starter following ingredients. Stir well.

1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
3 level tablespoons potato flakes

After feeding starter let stand on countertop for 12 hours with the lid firmly tightened. You are now ready to make bread.

Bread Recipe:

To make dough:
Mix starter well and remove 1 cup to make bread. Return the rest of starter to refrigerator. Keep covered. Repeat this process every 3 to 6 days. Place the one cup of starter in a large bowl and add:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn oil
1 tablespoon salt
1-1/2 cups warm water
6 cups bread flour

Mix into stiff batter (I use wooden spoon and then hands), divide into 3 lumps (if you want the smaller loaves or 2 lumps if you use the 9x5 in. loaf pans).

Oil a large pan such as a broiler pan and roll each lump in oil and put in the large pan. cover lightly with saran wrap, leave on counter 12 hours.

Next step: Knead each lump on floured surface until no longer sticky to touch (not much). Put in oiled loaf pans and cover lightly with saran wrap. Let stand on counter 6 to 12 hours until risen.

Preheat oven to 350*. Bake on next to bottom rack for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and checked with a toothpick for doneness. Cool on racks in pan.

If you don't want to make bread every 3 to 6 days, you still need to feed the starter every 3 to 6 days to keep it totally alive. When you feed it always keep 1 cup of fed starter in the refrigerator to feed again. You can either give someone the excess starter or throw it out, don't let it accumulate to much.