GOLDEN SOURDOUGH BREAD

Golden Sourdough Bread image

This recipe makes 4 golden and delicious loaves. When I first became curious about sourdough and the mysterious smelly substance called sourdough starter, I asked around if anyone had any to share. I found one of the nicest ladies that shared her starter and knowledge with me. The starter that I am using is now close to 130...

Provided by Shelene Wilhelm

Time 8h40m

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

3 c sourdough starter, expanded
3 c buttermilk (or water)
3/4 c dry milk powder (optional with buttermilk, required with water)
2 Tbsp salt
6 Tbsp sugar
5 Tbsp melted butter
9 - 10 c flour

Steps:

1. What is expanded sourdough starter? The night before baking bread, take your active starter out and add flour and water to it, at 3 parts flour and 2 parts water or whey. Place a light covering over the starter so the top doesn't dry out. It sits overnight and expands. In the morning, it's beautiful and bubbly. Part of this goes into your bread dough and some always goes back into your jar to save as your starter.
2. Mix expanded sourdough, buttermilk (or water), dry milk, sugar, salt, and butter. Add 5 cups flour and beat until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes.
3. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead, adding flour, until dough is no longer sticky. Place dough in large bowl sprayed with cooking oil. Cover with a dish towel or place lid on top (not sealed but just on top). Let rise until double in volume. This could take 3 to 8 hours depending on the warmth of the room. Some believe that the longer the rise takes for the sourdough, the better the flavor. I like to place mine in my cold oven with the light on right before I go to bed. In the morning, it is ready to punch and knead down. The picture here is of the dough before it has risen. By the time it has risen, it has doubled in size and filled my large "Tupperware thatsa bowl" completely.
4. Knead down and divide into four. Shape the 4 into loaves and place into greased and lightly floured loaf pans. Let rise until about ¾ inch over top of pan. This can be done again, inside your cold oven with the light on. This will not take as long as the unshaped rising did. Do not preheat oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. After removing from oven, remove from pans and place on cooling racks. Rub butter on tops of hot loaves. Cover with kitchen towels as loaves cool. Bread slices best when the loaves have cooled. However, if patience is not available and the bread smells and looks too irresistible to wait till cool, cut carefully so you don't smash down the loaf. Enjoy!