Appetizing Muse

Last summer my father gave me a sourdough starter. My father received his starter from his older brother Mike decades ago, and it's been handed down ever since.

I keep my starter in a glass crock in the refrigerator. Every two weeks, usually on a Saturday, I process the sour dough by adding more flour and milk, with a bit of sugar, and allow the dough to rise for several hours. I don't always make something with the dough, and when I don't the crock is returned to the refrigerator after processing.

Yesterday when I processed the sourdough I realized I'd have to cook some or the lot would not fit back into the crock. More often than not I prepare hotcakes, but this time wanted something different.

I searched about for recipes and located an informative article about Sourdough Baking by S. John Ross (PDF, 112 KB), which also includes an easy recipe for Sourdough Bread.

I used Smart Balance Buttery Spread instead of olive oil or margarine, and also added a bit of cream for moisture and a package of yeast to my mixture.

During baking, my bread shaped into a cottage loaf and came out tasting a bit sweet. However, it was very good - especially hot from the oven with a bit more Smart Balance smeared on top.