The Story of the Sourdough Master Mommy

One apon a time I was intimidated by sourdough bread starter. It made me get all nervous and talk too much. I thought that sourdough starter was a nature growing yeast bread of queens,Gods,and game show host.
I harvested all my courage.
I put my big girl panties on.
I made starter.
I made bread.
I over came my fears
I became a Bread-Wizard-Ninja-Master-Mommy.
AND SO CAN YOU!!!!!
Here is how.                    
                                                        Good luck and God Speed.

 OK are you ready to brave it all???? OK ready...go~~ stir 4 tablespoons flour with 4 tablespoons water. Yes that is it flour,water in a dish. ( now if you HATE  waiting as I do, feel free to add a pinch of yeast to help the growing get a going) but do NOT tell your ninja bread friends because,they will look down on you in shame, as they should. I however will confess to adding the pinch of yeast because I dont care if people look down on me,ninja or other wise. Anyways that same night before bed add 2 more spoons of each water and flour. You kinda are aiming for pancake batter thickness. Over the next days or week  keep adding half amounts of flour and water one time per day. 

Ok you should be seeing some crazy bubbles and smelling the "sourness" that is good news.The clear stuff you see on top is the hooch.  I just stir it in most of the time. Sometimes I end up with loads of hooch and I drain it off but,that's up to you. Still trying to find out more about drinking the hooch but,so far I found that YES it is Alcohol and YES you can drink it. Many people in the past drank the bread hooch  all the time(waste not)  but I hear it taste like death and gives you a hangover,so for now I just stir it in or drain it off. If I come up with a recipe for liqueur made with sourdough hooch I will update for sure!!!

 Now if you have a cool stone bread oven  dish like me, than we can be twins and that will be rad and I will share my bread with you and you will never need to make your own. If you don't  have the same cool stone bread oven like me you can still be rad but,you will have to make your own  bread (sorry) anyways pizza stone or bread dish is going to do the job as well.          

    Ok jumping back when you have 3-4 cups of "sour" starter 7-12 days take out 2 cups of starter and feed back in to the container 1 cup water and 1 cup flour.

Now if you have a standmixer pour the 2 cups of starter you removed in to the mixer bowl. If you dont have a standmixer than well.... I am sorry for you,but never fear you can knead it the old school way.
Add 1/4 cup olive oil and 2ish cups flour. If its too dry go light on the flour if it ends up too sticky add water,you know the drill. Knead for 5-8 min then let rise over night.
In the morning Press the dough lightly ( I know you wont want to flatten the dough you waited all night to rise cause,I hate that part to but, rules are rules) form loaf. This is the fun part~~ cut the shape on top and sprinkle seeds,corn meal, nuts or whatever makes your skirt fly up. I have cornmeal ,poppy, sesame and flax seeds on this loaf cause thats what makes my skirt fly up.

 In a oiled  dish or oiled rad stone bread oven dish Let your loaf shaped dough ball rise for 30 mins again. Then at long last!!! and it has been long......I know even writing this has been long....but at long last.BAKE@400 degrees for 45-55 mins.

Just keep your starter fed. If you keep enough starter going you can make up the dough to rise each night and make a fresh loaf of each morning.                   Now you My friend have the power to rise above your fears and make sourdough bread.!!!!Be Like me The Mother-Ninja-Bread-Star-Artist-Wizard.                    XOoOXoOXoJoy