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1
Pour the sponge in a bowl and add the sugar, salt and oil or margarine.
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2
Mix well and then knead in the flour a half-cup at a time.
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3
Knead in enough flour to make a good, flexible bread dough- you may use slightly more or less than the three cups indicated, depending on how runny your starter is.
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4
Just keep adding until it looks like any other bread dough.
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5
You can add the flour by hand, with an electric mixer, a bread machine on dough cycle or a food processor.
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6
Find a warm place and let the dough rise, covered loosely by a towel (I use my airing cupboard but a slightly warm oven works well too-- don't keep it on, just turn it on for a moment to warm it up before turning it off and putting the dough in).
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7
If you're using a bread machine's dough cycle, let it rise in the machine.
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8
Note that sourdough rises more slowly than yeast bread.
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9
Just let it keep going until it's doubled in bulk.
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10
Punch the dough down and knead it a little more.
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11
Make a loaf and place it on a lightly greased baking sheet.
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12
Slit the top if you like, and cover the loaf with a paper towel and place it in a warm place to rise again, until doubled in bulk.
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13
Place the pan with the loaf in your oven, and then turn your oven to 350 F or 190 C and bake the bread for 30-45 minutes.
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14
Do not preheat the oven.
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15
The loaf is done when the crust is brown and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped with a wooden spoon.
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16
Turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack or a towel and let it cool for an hour before slicing.
