Sourdough Starter

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

Preparation:
Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add flour.  Cover bowl with cheesecloth.  This keeps bugs out but allows 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 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup water 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.

If you prefer, you can purchase sourdough starter from King Arthur Flour at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/.

Suggestions:
If your starter has been refrigerated, you need to feed it before you use it in a recipe.  Up to 12 hours before beginning a recipe, stir the starter and discard 1 cup.  Feed the remaining starter with 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour.  Let it sit for 4 to 12 hours before using in a recipe.  Use however much "fed Starter" the recipe calls for, and feed the remainder with another 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour.  Let this remaining starter sit at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours, until bubbly, then cover and refrigerate.

If you are not planning to use your starter for over a week, take it out and feed it once a week as described above.  You can return the starter to the refrigerator without waiting for it to get bubbly first.

Maintaining a Starter:
Sweetening a starter:  If your starter is too sour, reserve 1 cup and throw away the rest.  Feed the reserved starter with 1 cup water and 2 cups flour.  Mix well and let rest for 4 hours before using or refrigerating.
Increasing your starter:  To grow a large amount of starter, simply feed it 1 cup of water and 2 cups of flour, without discarding any.  feed again 2 to 4 hours later, and you'll have plenty on hand to use or to share.
Resuscitating a neglected starter:  If your sourdough starter sits in the refrigerator for too long between feedings, it will develop a thick layer of liquid on top, will smell very strong, and will be sluggish (not produce many bubbles).  If this happens, pour off most of the liquid, throw all but 1 cup of the remaining starter away, and feed with 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour.  If the starter is still alive, it will begin to bubble after a few hours.  Discard about half at this point and feed it again with 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour.  Let it sit for another 2 to 4 hours, then use or refrigerate it.
When to start over:  If your sourdough starter begins to mold, or the odor is not the usual clean, sour aroma (an alcohol smell is OK), or if it develops a pink or orange color, throw it out.  It's very rare for this to happen, so don't worry.

History:
I've made my own starter and am now using the starter purchased from King Arthur Flour and bake bread weekly now.  These are their instructions for maintaining a starter.