You need to have the sourdough starter at room temperature, so
if you have your starter in the refrigerator, put a cup of it out on the counter
for a while before you start mixing the bread. You combine 2 1/2 cups of flour
and the yeast in a big bowl (a 4-quart glass bowl will do). Heat the water,
sugar, butter and salt until warm (110 degrees Fahrenheit or so). Add the liquid
to the flour and yeast mixture. Then you pour in the sourdough starter. Mix with
an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. The mixture looks very smooth and
creamy at this point, and smells very yeasty. Then you mix with the mixer on
high speed for 3 minutes. This is when you begin to see the elasticity develop
in the dough. It practically climbs up the beaters to the mixer! You need to
keep a scraper or a spoon on hand to push the dough back down. It's fascinating
to watch!
Combine 2 1/2 cups of flour with the soda in a separate bowl.
Then add it to the yeast mixture. Stir this until the dry ingredients and the
starter mixture are combined. Then try to add as much of the remaining flour --
1/2 to 1 cup -- as you can. The dough gets pretty stiff at this point.
The next step is kneading -- a part of making bread that many
bakers find most satisfying, because you can feel the dough changing in your
hands as you knead. Put the dough on a floured surface and start pushing and
pulling. It will take about six to eight minutes to get the dough to the right
stiffness. You will know it is done when you can push on it with your finger and
it pops right back instead of denting.
Shape the dough into a ball and put it into a greased bowl.
Cover it and put it in a warm place to rise until it doubles in size -- about 45
to 60 minutes.
When it has doubled, punch it down -- another satisfying part
of bread baking. Put the dough on a floured surface and divide into two parts.
Cover these two lumps for about 10 minutes and let them rest. Make them into two
round loaves. Put the two loaves on a greased baking sheet, and cover again to
let them rise until they are about double in size (about 30 minutes). Then it's
time to bake the loaves, in a 375-degree oven for about 30 to 35 minutes.
