This post is part of our Sinclair & Co. for the Holidays series.
Follow us on Pinterest to see more.

This is my Mama Ruth’s sour dough bread recipie. My grandmother, Ruth Youngblood, was mistress of the domestic arts. Her quilts, afghans, canned goods and pies won all sorts of ribbons in Oklahoma. Her recipes for sour dough are among a handful of items I have written in her own handwriting. I once accidentally threw them in the trash and went wading through days-worth of garbage to retrieve them, they are that precious to me. Fortunately, Mama Ruth put ALL her recipes in plastic sleeves so the recipe cards themselves emerged from the garbage unscathed.

Mama Ruth’s sour dough is a little sweeter than the traditional San Franciso style that had a bite to it. This bread was among the MANY homemade goodies awaiting our arrival at Christmas — along with cherry and apple pies, divinity to DIE for and homemade spiced apple cider.

Sour Dough Starter: before you can make sour dough bread, you’ve got to culture the starter.

1 package active dry yeast
2.5 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 c. Instant nonfat dry milk
2 TBSP. sugar
4 c. All purpose flour

Stir first four ingredients in 2.5 quart crock with lid (non metalic) until yeast is dissolved. Stir in flour until smooth. Loosely cover and let set in warm place for 3-5 days. Stir, then cover with lid and keep in fridge. Whenever you use starter — or every 10 days, whichever comes first — replenish supply by adding 1c. Milk, 1 c. Flour and 1/3 c. Sugar. After “feeding” starter, always allow it to sit at room temperature for a while before returning it to the fridge.

BREAD
1 package yeast
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 c. Warm water
6 c. Flour
1 c. Water
1 egg
1/3 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Oil
1-1/2 t. Salt
1 c. Sour dough starter

Add yeast to 1 TBSP sugar and 1/2 c. Water and set aside

Add starter, 1 c. water, sugar, oil, salt and egg together and blend thoroughly. Add to flour and blend thoroughly. I use my standup mixer for this, using the bread claw until the dough threatens to spill over the bowl.

Put dough in greased bowl, cover and set aside in warm spot until it rises to double its size. Knead again and form into two loaves. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees, then turn down to 350 and bake for another 30 minutes.