Sourdough Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 T. sugar
• 2 t. salt
• 2 1/4 t. active dry yeast
• 3/4 c. milk, warmed
• 1.5 T. butter, softened
• 1 c. sourdough starter (recipe posted on this blog) 

Bread Machine Directions:

1. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to your bread pan. If your bread machine has a warming cycle, turn it off and start a basic bread cycle to stir these ingredients together. I use the dark crust setting for this recipe
2. Slowly add warm milk and softened butter to dry mixture while the bread machine is still stirring. Then do the same with the sourdough starter.
3. Add the remaining 2-1/2 cups of flour slowly to the wet mixture. It may seem like too much flour, as the dough will get very crumbly, but it will all get kneaded into the bread. I've found that it helps to press down on the dough as the machine is still kneading to get it to pick up all of the bits of dough.
4. Close the top of the bread machine and let it finish out its cycle. When the bread is done baking, remove it from the pan immediately and let it cool on a rack to prevent it from getting soggy.

Oven Directions:

1. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to a mixing bowl.
2. Slowly stir in warm milk and softened butter to dry mixture. Then do the same with the sourdough starter.
3. Mix remaining 2-1/2 cups of flour slowly into the wet mixture. Then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes.
4. Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning to make sure it's coated, and let rise for one hour.
5. Punch down and let rest for 15 minutes. Then shape into a loaf and place in a greased 2-lb. loaf pan. Allow to rise for another hour.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until done.

Makes one 2-lb. sourdough loaf.