Sourdough Bread

1. At least two days before you plan to bake, mix the starter ingredients. Stir, cover loosely, and place on top of your refrigerator or another out-of-the-way place. Stir every 8-12 hours: the mixture will become bubbly and eventually develop a sour smell. If your kitchen is warm, it may happen in 24 hours; it usually takes a couple of days. 2. The night before you\\\'re ready to bake, place half of your starter in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. (To maintain your starter, add 3/4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of water to the remainder and stir well. Cover and refrigerate. To keep your starter going, add a little more flour and water to it. This way you will have a starter for a long time). Add the sourdough bread flour, salt, and yeast, and process for 5 seconds. With the machine running, pour most of the water through the feed tube. Process about 30 seconds, then remove the cover. The dough should be in a defined but shaggy ball, still quite sticky you would not want to knead by hand. The dough should not be dry and if it is, add water- 1 tbsp at a time and process 5-10 seconds after each addition. 3. In a large bowl, dump the dough and cover loosely with a plastic wrap or towel. Let sit for several hours or overnight at cool room temperature, or in the refrigerator. 4. Sift a small amount of flour onto a counter or tabletop, and shape dough into a ball. Pinch together the seam that forms at the bottom. 5. Place a clean kitchen towel in a colander or round basket about the size of a standard colander. Sprinkle the towel very well with flour. Place the dough with seam facing up and sprinkle generously with more flour. Fold the towel over and let rise for 2-6 hours. 6. About 30 minutes before you\\\'re ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. When you are ready to bake, gently turn the dough into a baking sheet, or pizza peel. Slash the top of the dough several times with a razor blade. Spray the inside of the oven with water to create steam. Then place your dough in to bake. 7. Spray two or three more times during the first 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove, spray with a bit of water if you would like a shinier crust.