The smell of fresh baked bread wafting through your home will draw everyone to gather in the kitchen for a warm slice of this timeless bread! Somehow, homemade bread has become a part of my life story, weaving its way into almost every decade since I was 12 years old.
In the 1980’s my uncle Dwight had a plan for my cousin Stacey and I to start making homemade bread and selling it. He taught us how to make it and essentially turned us loose. We would begin around 6 am every day, “feeding” our starter, making the dough and baking fresh loaves. After they cooled, we would wrap them and walk door to door on Signal Mountain to sell our fresh baked bread from a basket. We sold out every day. Soon, a local deli began carrying our fresh baked bread! We were 12 and 13 years old. What a fun summer that was for us learning lessons about the value of a hard days work!
A few years later, I began a job at a locally famous bakery. The owner asked me about my baking experience in my initial interview and I told her of our little bread baking business. To my great surprise, she remembered buying bread from us. We had actually inspired her to begin her business, which is still very successful today! I worked there for a couple of years, focusing on the specialty breads they made.
A few years after that, my parents purchased a catering business and opened a small restaurant. Once again, I found myself making Sourdough Bread. Sometimes I made upwards of 120 loaves a day, by hand! It was such a game changer when Jamey bought me a KitchenAid Mixer. I really can’t imagine mixing all that dough by hand now!
For many years, I dreamed of opening my own bakery with fresh baked breads, cakes, and cookies. So I have kept this recipe a secret until now.
Sourdough bread is really simple. It’s a fascinating process because you begin with one tablespoon of yeast and by feeding it, the yeast will multiply. This insures that the bread will rise. The process does take time to get used to, but it really only takes 10-15 minutes each evening/morning that you plan to make the bread. It costs under $1 to make each loaf with this recipe! The first thing you MUST do is make your starter. The “starter” will need to be “fed” at least 3-4 times before you can make bread.
Sourdough Starter
Equipment
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- Glass Jar or Plastic pitcher to store starter in!
- Wood or Plastic spoon to stir
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP Dry Instant Yeast
- 3 TBSP Potato flakes- plain
- 1 Cup Warm Water
Instructions
Making the Sourdough Starter
- Directions: Mix these 3 ingredients in a jar or small pitcher and let stand on kitchen countertop loosely covered (with holes for ventilation) for 10 hours, then refrigerate. Feed it 3-4 times before using it to make bread. You will have to have a good size jar/ small pitcher because the starter does increase slowly, even if you use a cup of starter every time you feed it.
Feeding the Starter
- Remove starter from refrigerator. Add 3/4 cups sugar, 3 TBSP potato flakes, and 1 cup warm water. This is called "feeding the starter". Mix it well and let stand OUT OF REFRIGERATOR all day. This process can be repeated as often as every 48 hours but MUST be repeated at least once per week to keep the yeast alive. (If not making bread after each feeding, throw away the 1 cup starter. Letting the starter build up too much will also kill it.) When the feeding process is complete, measure one cup of starter to begin making the bread. Refrigerate the remaining starter until the next "feeding".
I will share the Sourdough Bread Recipe tomorrow! Please leave a comment, subscribe or share!
© Copyright 2020– or current year, Sanctuary Ridge. Unattributed use of this material is strictly prohibited. Reposting and links may be used, provided that credit is given to Sanctuary Ridge with active link and direction to this original post.
Thanks I make bread in a wood fired brick oven now. I Think this is a similar starter that I used years ago when I baked in the kitchen oven.