Sourdough Batter

Photo: flickr user Catchpenny

Ingredients

cup starter

1 cup water tepid

Preparation

This must be made about 12 hours before you are going to begin the bread-making or roll process. Just do it at night before you go to bed. It takes only a minute. Remove the starter from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of starter and put it into a 2 quart mixing bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 cup tepid water. Mix this well, cover, and allow to sit overnight, unrefrigerated. This is called

" proofing ", and when the batter is ready, the natural yeast will have spread throughout the dough and it will be bubbly and offer a strong sourdough odor . When ready to bake, measure out the amount of batter called for in the recipe and return the remaining batter to to your starter bowl in the refrigerator. Remember that you must replenish your starter by adding back what you take out. Return the same amount of water and flour that you have removed. Just whip it up and stir it into the starter bowl.