SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• To make this bread you must first make the SOURDOUGH STARTER: Stir 1/2 cup skim milk powder with 1 cup of hot water. Cover with a cloth and leave on the kitchen counter 2-3 days, or until mixture smells sour. This is easily detected using skim milk powder. Once the mixture has soured, add 1 cup whole wheat flour. Stir well, cover it once more. Let stand 2-3 days, or until mixture has begun to make bubbles and has taken on a spongy look. By this time you have approx. 1 cup of sourdough 'yeast' or starter. (If there's no bubbling or souring after 5 days, you must start over. But all you've lost is a cup of milk and one of flour.) Now add to this mixture another cup of milk made from skim milk powder and hot water as before and another cup of flour. Stir thoroughly, then leave on the counter for 4-6 hours, or until it looks spongy. Stir, cover and refrigerate. I keep mine in a loosely covered quart container, which allows rising space. Each time you take out 1 cup of the starter replace it by stirring in another batch of the milk powder-water-flour mixture and let it stand on the counter until bubbly (4-7 hours) before returning it to the refrigerator - the longer it's kept and the more often it's renewed, the better the bread. SOURDOUGH BREAD:In a large bowl, mix the starter, honey and 2 1/2 cups of warm water. Use a wire whisk or electric mixer and beat until fairly smooth. Then stir in 4 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, beating thoroughly at each addition. Cover bowl with a cloth and keep at room temperature overnight (12 hours). This gives the starter a chance to sour the dough. The next day, stir the sponge, mixing in any crust that has formed on top. Add the peanut oil, salt and soda, stirring with a whisk or electric mixer until well-blended. stir in wheat germ, then add 1/2 cup of flour, kneading in all visible flour before adding more, 1/2 cup at a time. (It rarely takes more than 1 1/2 cups.) CONT'D ABOVE.