Recipe: Basic Sourdough Bread with Variations

Here is a basic Sour Dough Bread recipe with some variations at the bottom. This is from a Sunset Bread book.

1 Cup starter
2 1/2 cups water
5 cups unsifted flour
3 TBS melted shortening
2 TBS sugar
1 TBS salt
1 1/2 teas. soda
About 2/1/2 cups unsifted flour
Melted butter

In a large bowl, mix starter, water, and the 5 cups of flour; cover and leave 18 to 24 hours at room temperature. Then combine melted shortening, sugar, salt, and soda; add to first mixture, and stir vigorously until blended.
Turn out dough onto 2 1/2 cups flour on a board; knead until satiny, adding more flour if needed. Divide dough in half; shape into 2 loaves and place each in a buttered loaf pan (5x9 in). Let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled (2 to 5 hours). Brush with melted butter. Bake in a hot oven (400) for 45 minutes. Turn out of pan; cool. Makes 2 loaves.

VARIATIONS; Make substitutions for a portion of the first 5 cups flour. For wheat germ bread, use 2/3 cup wheat germ for 2/3 cup flour; for cornmeal or oatmeal bread, use 1 cup cornmeal or rolled oats for 1 cup flour.