Sourdough French Bread

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Ingredients:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups sourdough starter
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt

Preparation:
Sprinkle yeast over warm water. Let dissolve 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and sourdough starter. Mix flour with salt and gradually add to yeast mixture. Cover bowl with damp towel, let rise 1-1 1/2 hours in warm place.

Turn dough onto floured board, work in about 1 cup more flour until dough is no longer sticky, then knead until satiny (about 5 minutes). Shape dough into 1 large round or 2 long oval loaves. Set on cookie sheet sprinkled with rice flour or cornmeal. Let rise again in warm place for 1-1 /2 hours. Put shallow pan of water on lower shelf of oven; preheat to 400°. Make diagonal slashes in bread, preferably with a razor blade so dough does not fall.

Bake 40-50 minutes or until crust is medium-dark brown. Set on rack to cool.

Sourdough Starter:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a two-quart glass bowl. Add flour. Cover bowl with cheesecloth. This keeps bugs out but lets airborne wild yeasts in. Leave in warm room 48 hours. Stir 2-3 times. It will ferment, bubble and acquire a slightly sour smell. Makes 3 cups. To use, stir, then pour off as much of this starter as the recipe requires. Then add equal parts flour and water (say, 2 cups each) to remaining starter in the pot. Stir and let stand a few hours until it bubbles again before covering and refrigerating. By replenishing the starter with flour and water, you can keep it going continuously. Never add anything other than flour and water to starter pot.