This is my world-renowned sourdough loaf. It is moist, dense, and tangy-sharp. It's really tasty with chili, as french toast, or for desert with honey dribbled over it. Mmmm.... It also makes great sandwiches.

makes: 2 loaves
baking pans: 1 large baking sheet, teflon or greased
oven: 375°

This is my world-renowned sourdough loaf. It is moist, dense, and tangy-sharp. It's really tasty with chili, as french toast, or for desert with honey dribbled over it. Mmmm.... It also makes great sandwiches.

This recipe began life as Colorado Sourdough Bread, a beautiful, sweet bread that's really not all that sour. Over the years, I've adapted this one to give a little more kick by replacing most of the water with starter. There's just enough water to make it pliable. If sour is what you're looking for, I think you'll find that does the trick.

ingredients

2-1/4 teaspoons (1 pkg) quick yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3-1/2 cups bread flour
2 cups sourdough starter
3 tablespoons shortening
1 egg

preparation

In a large mixing bowl, measure 2 cups of flour and stir in the yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the sourdough starter, shortening and egg. Beat with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes.

Stir in the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough becomes a rough, shaggy mass that cleans the sides of the bowl. It the dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand with a rhythmic push-turn-fold motion. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle with small additions of flour.

rising/shaping

Place the dough in a greased or buttered bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature to rise (30 to 45 minutes).

When doubled in bulk, punch the dough down with the fingertips and kneed for 1 minute to press out the bubbles. Put the dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut in half with a sharp knife. Shape each half into a ball, and let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Form each into a loaf by pressing the ball into a flat oval about 12 inches long. Fold the oval in half, pinch the seam shut, tuck under the ends, and place both loaves on the baking sheet seam down.

If you want, use a sharp knife to gently slice two or three shallow, diagonal lines in the top of each. Cover with a towel and leave until doubled in size.

baking/cooling

Bake the loaves until golden brown. To test if they're done, turn one upside down and tap the bottom crust with with a forefinger. A hard, hollow sound means that it is ready.

Remove the bread from the oven, and cool on a wire rack.