INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

"Many recipes for sourdough breads include some active dry yeast to
spped up the process, the sourdough starter included mainly for
flavor. We recommend beginning sourdough bakers start with this bread
before moving on to the Classic Sourdough Bread which follows. This
version makes a quicker loaf with a slightly different texture and
taste, and is a good introduction to the sourdough process."  cornmeal
to sprinkle on baking pans  Making the Sponge:  In a large mixing bowl,
dissolve the sugar and  yeast in the warm water.  Let this sit for 10
minutes or so until  bubbly. Add the starter and stir. Gradually add 3
cups of flour,  stirring until well mixed and smooth.  Cover this
sponge and set it aside in a warm, draft-free place for 4  to 5 hours.
Making the Dough:  Stir down the sponge.  Stir in 1 cup of flour, the
salt and oil.  Gradually add flour until the dough no longer sticks  to
the sides of the bowl.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board
and knead for 3 to 4  minutes.  Let the dough rest while you clean and
grease your bowl.  Continue kneading another 3 or 4 minutes or until
the dough is smooth  and elastic. Add only enough flour to the board to
keep the dough  from sticking. Place dough in the greased bowl and let
rise until  doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.  Shaping & Baking:  Knock
down the dough and shape it into two long  French- or Italian-style
loaves.  Place them on a cornmeal-sprinkled  baking sheet and let them
rise for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Toward the end of the rising
period, place a baking pan on the oven  bottom (or on the lowest rack)
and preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Just before baking, slash the
tops diagonally every couple of inches,  about 1/4" deep, and brush
with cold water.  Pour 2 or 3 cups of water into the pan, put the
loaves on the rack  above the steaming water, and bake for about 25
minutes.  The crust will be very hard when you remove the bread, but in
5  minutes it will be soft and chewy.  To make the crust crisp and
chewy, turn the oven off and leave the bread inside for an additional
5 minutes.  From:  King Arthur Flour Posted by: Debbie Carlson -
Cooking Echo  From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at
www.synapse.com/~gemini

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