Recipe - Never Fail Sourdough French Bread

1 cup Hot water
2 tablespoon Honey or sugar
2 tablespoon Butter or margarine
1 One half cup Sourdough starter
4 cup (to 6) flour
Cake yeast
2 teaspoon Salt(optional)

Mix hot water, honey or sugar, butter or margarine in a large ceramic
mixing bowl. Cool to lukewarm and add yeast, sourdough starter, salt and
flour a cup at a time enough to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured
board and knead for 5 to 8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and cover; let
rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down and let rise for 30 minutes. Turn
dough out onto a floured board and let sit ten minutes. Form into long or
round loaf, or into rolls and place in a well greased pan or cookie sheet
and let rise again until doubled. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for
45 to 55 minutes or until brown. Makes 1 large loaf or 8 to 12 rolls.
SUGGESTIONS: The bread will rise more quickly if salt is omitted. Use only
ceramic or wood bowls and utensils as metal spoils sourdough.(I use a large
corningware bowl and a plastic whip to mix, then rinse and reuse same bowl
to let kneaded ball rise in). Wash utensils promptly as this stuff sets up
like cement when left to dry! This recipe will make 4 thin baguette
loaves, two small regular loaves or one MONSTER loaf in a regular bread
pan. Grease pans generously with crisco or other shortening. From The Dough
Boys Bakery in San Francisco

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini