This sourdough bread is made with sourdough starter. I occasionally add a teaspoon of yeast to make sure it rises as much as I want it to.

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour or 1 cup bread flour plus 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm filtered or bottled water
1 tsp yeast (optional)
1/6 cup sourdough starter

Dissolve the yeast in water (if using yeast). Add the sourdough starter. Mix in flour and salt to make a fairly wet dough. Knead the dough by hand or with a dough hook or breadmaker on manual setting. Put the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, allow to rise overnight.

The next morning or evening: on a floured surface, fold the dough a number of times. Shape the dough into a ball by pulling and turning. Put the dough in a proofing basket or pyrex bowl lined with a floursack dish towel that has been generously floured. Cover with plastic and or damp dish towel. Allow to rise in a warm place, like a sunny window for many hours. I usually bake the loaf from the morning at around 5:00 in the evening.

Grease a pyrex bowl or dutch oven. The pyrex dish or dutch oven must have a cover. Score the top of the loaf a few times. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cover and bake the loaf for about 25 minutes. Uncover, spray with water, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Do not underbake. The crust should be well browned. Allow to cool before slicing.