Sourdough Bread from a Bread Machine

I am so happy that my mom gave me some of her sourdough starter - I have already used it twice and will hopefully be making bread every weekend with it!!  At first, I thought I was crazy to think about using the starter in a bread machine, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results.  It isn't as strong of a sourdough taste as some people would like, but since it is mild it is slightly more versatile.  The other 'odd' thing is that you still add yeast so it will be able to rise in the time frame your bread machine uses - traditionally it can take up to 'all day' for handmade sourdough bread to rise using only the starter.  I actually have 2 recipes to share, the first one is the one I prefer (the picture above) and the second is Eric's favorite (as he reminded me several times when eating the one above lol).  Follow the links for the original site information.

Plain and Simple Sourdough Bread

3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees or so)
1 cup sourdough starter (already proofed - see below)
2 2/3 cup flour
1/2-1 tsp sugar (I added this to the recipe, it will feed your yeast and rise better but it isn't necessary)
1 1/2 tsp yeast (in center of flour mound)
1 1/2 tsp salt (sprinkled around the outer edge of the flour mound)

Crusty Sourdough Bread

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees or so)
1 cup sourdough starter (already proofed - see below)
3 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar (I added this to the recipe, it will feed your yeast and rise better but it isn't necessary)
1 tsp yeast (in center of flour mound)
1 1/2 tsp salt (sprinkled around the outer edge of the flour mound)

Add the ingredients in the order listed to your bread machine. Choose White, Light Crust, Rapid and Small Loaf as your settings. 

As a side note:  I wasn't sure I would be able to take care of my starter as well as it needed, so I opted to put mine in the fridge.  This allows me to feed it once a week instead of every day - I don't even feed myself every day!  So when I want to use it I have to proof it before hand -  this definitely takes time and requires planning.  When I know I want to make bread, I pull my container out of the fridge and add 1/2 cup each of warm water and flour.  Stir the starter until well combined (don't use a metal utensil).  Let sit in a warm area for 12 hours (yep - 12 hours), stir in an additional 1/4 cup of warm water and flour, and let it proof for at least another hour.  Once you see lots of happy bubbles you are good to go.  Remove the amount needed and put the container back into the fridge for another day.

Have a great day!
Beth