Sourdough French Bread

Combine milk, sugar, salt and shortening in a pan. Heat until shortening
melts, then cool to lukewarm (about 110 degrees F.).

Stir milk into starter. Add flour gradually, forming dough that pulls away
from sides of the bowl. Knead until smooth (about 15 minutes), adding
flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the board. When done,
the dough will be fairly heavy, but smooth in texture.

Place in a well-greased bowl and raise in a warm place until doubled. Form
into a long loaf (about 16 inches long). Place on a greased baking sheet
and let rise again, until almost doubled.

Cut diagonal slits in top of loaf with a sharp knife and bake in a 400
degree oven until done, about 30-35 min. Remove from pan and let cool in a
draft-free location.

NOTES:

* An old-fashioned sourdough French bread — This is a hearty bread,
possibly heavier than many people are used to. The flavor is wonderfully
tangy and complements just about any meal. Try it with garlic butter!

This bread is slow raising. I usually spend two days on it, start the
dough one day, let it rise overnight, then form the loaf and bake the next
day. This recipe is from “The Complete Sourdough Cookbook,” by Don and
Myrtle Holm.

* Be careful that the milk mixture has cooled before adding it to the
starter. If it’s too hot, you’ll kill the starter and the bread won’t
rise.

* Since the dough rises for a long time, I usually cover it with a damp
towel to keep it from drying out.

* If you want a chewy crust, brush the top of the loaf with a mixture of
corn starch and water before baking. Also, placing a pan of water in the
oven while baking will make the crust a little softer. I usually brush the
loaf with butter after baking.

: Difficulty: moderate.
: Time: 1 hour preparation, long rising time, 1/2 hour baking.
: Precision: measure the ingredients.

: Bill Turner {hplabs!}hppsdc!bill
: Hewlett-Packard Personal Software Division
: 3410 Central Expressway
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