Grandma's Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 (12 ounce) can beer, warmed to 110 degrees
• 5-5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sourdough starter, at room temperature Grandmas Starter recipe posted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 cup yellow cornmeal

Directions

1. 1

   Soften yeast in warm beer. Blend in 2 cups of the flour, Grandma's starter, sugar, butter and salt. Combine 1 cup of the flour and the baking soda; stir into flour-yeast mixture.

2. 2

   Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can with a wooden spoon. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (5 to 8 minutes total).

3. 3

   Place in greased non metallic bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise till double in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down; divide dough in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Shape into two oblong or round loaves.

5. 5

   Place on greased baking sheet which has been sprinkled with yellow corn meal. Cover; let rise till almost double in size, about 1 hour. brush with a little water. Make diagonal slashes across tops of the loaves.

6. 6

   Twenty minutes before rising is complete pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

7. 7

   Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.