All purpose flour vs bread flour for sourdough bread...?

bread flour is wonderful for bread making, however, all purpose flour is ok, the rule of thumb is to reduce the flour by one tablespoon per cup.

Just to help you, since it's your first time making bread.

When your started is ready, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.

Add your butter, sugar,salt,first add half of the flour then your starter, mix with a dough hook adding more flour as needed. Keep a cup out for working your dough even up to 1 1/2 flour is even better.

Mix your dough until it has formed a ball and is elastic in feel.

Take wax paper and lay on your work surface or a clean paper bag, flour your surface, remove your dough and let rest for 10 minutes. Then dust all around your dough and work into balls for rolls or into loaves.

Place your dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with a lightweight towel let it rise till doubled punch down and put into pans and let rise again.

NOW.....THIS IS WHAT I DO...MADE EASIER

when mixing your dough add 1 tsp more yeast to your flour, then mix as above, let rest, then form into rolls or loaves, place in oiled bread pan, turn to coat, place in warm area to rise about one hour preheat oven to 425 and bake. I never make my dough rise twice.

If you need more help, I have some great bread recipes, I will be glad to share with you.

Sourdough Bread Flour

Well I found one

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/bread-mac...

how do you think our earlier Settlers and Pilgrims made bread...

specialty grinds of flour were not available

Traditional sourdough bread is made with a starter only. A yeast is not added to the bread dough.

To make your starter, it is best to use organically grown wheat or white flour and distilled sodium-free water. Also, use sterilized equipment. This will prevent any unwanted contamination in your starter.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE STARTER

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups distilled sodium- and chlorine-free water

3 to 3 1/2 cups organic whole wheat or white flour

TO MAKE THE STARTER

Day 1

=====

Wash all equipment with hot water and dishwashing liquid. Rinse with the hottest water possible and dry with paper towels (not dish towels). To sterilize them - place the equipment, except for the large mixing bowl, into a large pot filled with boiling water. Boil the equipment for 5 minutes. Remove them from the water with tongs. Allow to drain on paper towels placed on your work surface.

Make the starter... Use the sterilized measuring cup to measure 1/4 cup of distilled water and pour it into a sterilized bowl.

Add 1/2 cup of the organic flour. Stir in the flour with a sterilized spoon. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave for 12 hours at room temperature between 60 and 75 degrees.

After 12 hours, add 1/4 cup of distilled water and 1/2 cup of organic flour to the starter. Cover and leave again at room temperature.

Day 2

=====

Wash, sterilize, if necessary, and dry the measuring cups and spoon again. Add 1/4 cup of distilled water and 1/2 cup of the organic flour to the starter. Stir well with the spoon. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave for 24 hours at room temperature.

Day 3

=====

Repeat Day 2 steps. If the starter has not begun to bubble, wait one more day before discarding it and starting over.

Day 4

=====

If the starter is bubbling, repeat Day 2 steps again, but transfer the starter to a larger sterilized bowl before adding water and flour. If the starter has not begun to bubble, discard it and start over.

Day 5

=====

Discard half of the starter and add 1/2 cup of distilled water and 1 cup of organic flour. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until bubbly. Refrigerate the starter after it begins to bubble.

MAINTAINING THE STARTER

Feed the starter by removing it from the refrigerator, discarding half of it, and repeating Day 4 steps -- once per week. If any water separates out of the starter in between feedings, stir the water back in.

==============================

TO MAKE THE SOURDOUGH BREAD

==============================

INGREDIENTS FOR SPONGE

1 cup warm tap water (about 110 degrees)

1 cup sourdough starter

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

INGREDIENTS FOR DOUGH

All of the sponge, above

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING THE BREAD

For the sponge... In a large bowl, add the water and the sourdough starter and whisk to blend. Stir in the flour, then slide the bowl into a large plastic bag and allow the sponge to rise at room temperature for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

For the dough... Stir the sponge to deflate and stir in 1 1/2 cups of flour and the salt.

Knead by hand to form a smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky dough, about 5 minutes. Incorporate the remaining flour, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too soft.

OR, if you have a heavy-duty mixer -- do the following instead of the "by-hand" directions above.

Place the sponge, 1 1/2 cups of flour, and the salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed to form a smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky dough, about 5 minutes. Incorporate the remaining flour, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too soft.

NEXT, place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn the dough over so the top is oiled. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.

Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and press to deflate. Form into an even sphere, by tucking the sides under at the bottom of the loaf all around. Invert the loaf into a round basket lined with a heavily floured towel or napkin so the tucked-under part is on top. Cover the basket with plastic and allow the dough to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

About 30 minutes before you intend to bake the loaves, set racks at the middle and lowest levels of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees.

Place a baking stone or cookie sheet on the middle rack. Set a pan on the lowest rack to absorb some of the excess bottom heat. This keeps the loaf from burning on the bottom.

Invert the risen loaf onto a cardboard base, a peel, or a cookie sheet covered with cornmeal. Hold a razor blade at a 90 degree angle to the top of the loaf, and use it to slash a diagonal lattice pattern on the loaf.

Slide the loaf onto the stone or heated sheet pan and quickly close the oven. Lower the temperature to 450 degrees. If you wish, throw a cup of hot water onto the pan in th

its a bit strong for biscuits/cookies really. they may rise. you'll get very big cookies!