Last week, I told you about my struggles with creating and sustaining a viable Potato Flake Bread Starter. (Click here to read the story.)

So, was the bread a success? I think so! It tasted great and the texture was good. The height was only so so, which is a common problem in my bread-making but not a determining factor in its success.

Now the real challenge begins: Remembering to keep “him” alive, which I immediately forgot to do after the relief of making edible bread.

Thankfully I remembered this morning, which I’m hoping will still be within an appropriate window of rest days. I guess I will find out when I attempt to make more bread tomorrow!

Here’s the recipe I used to make the starter:
1 pkg. or 1 T yeast
1 cup luke-warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/2 cup sugar
3 T. instant potato flakes
Mix all ingredients in a glass jar or container. Cover loosely and let stand 24 hours at room temperature. Put in refrigerator 3-5 days. On the fourth day, feed it with 1/2 cup sugar, 3 T. potato flakes and 1 cup warm water. Stir and keep at room temperature for 24 hours. Use 1 cup of starter to make bread (or cinnamon rolls or pizza dough or whatever bread you can imagine!). Store remaining starter in fridge and feed every 4 days (repeat cycle above). If you don’t make bread, discard 1 cup of starter at each feeding. I’ve read some talk of being able to freeze starter babies but I have not personally tried this so I can’t say whether or not it works.

I keep a check-off list near my starter so I can keep track of what day I’m on in the feeding/resting cycle.

To make Potato Flake Starter Bread use this recipe:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1-1/2 cups luke-warm water
1 T. salt
1 cup starter
6 cups flour
Stir together all ingredients except flour. Add flour a little at a time to the other ingredients, mixing well. Knead 5 minutes. Put dough in large, greased bowl (grease top of dough as well), cover with foil and let rise at room temperature at least 8 hours or overnight. Punch down and divide into three parts. Roll out each part into a rectangle, roll jelly roll-style and place into greased loaf pan. Let rise 4-5 hours. Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes. Brush with butter and remove from pan. Cool and keep covered. I sliced mine and froze the other two loaves for later use.

Dough on its first rise.

The finished product = bread starter success!

If you have any bread-making advice or experience with starters, let me know!

This post was shared at the following blog hops:

Making A Home @ Linda’s Lunacy

Categories: Food and gardening on the farm Frugal homemaking on the farm

Tagged as: bread bread recipe bread starter homemade bread success

Ginia

My name is Ginia Oehlschlager and I'm a small-town gal from Missouri. Join me as I document my crazy life on the farm with my husband and four kids. I'm always looking for frugal, simple ways to live the life God set before me. Where faith, family and fun come together on the farm.