1 qt. lukewarm water
1 pkg. dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
4 c. unbleached flour

Put the water in the container, add the yeast and sugar to soften. Stir in flour. Cover with a clean cloth and keep in a warm place for 2 days until it has risen and aged slightly.

Its now ready to use. Sourdough will thin as it stands and a layer of alcohol will form on the top, due to the natural fermentation process. This is perfectly normal so don't think that it is ruined and throw it out. Actually, the older a "starter" gets, the more character and flavor it develops. All you have to do is stir it up real good when you use it. Replace what you use with equal parts of flour and water.

When you keep your starter in the refrigerator this slows down the fermentation process, but even so you have to "feed" the starter with fresh flour and water every two weeks or so or the starter will lose its "life" and go flat. Then you have to start all over.

Years ago I had an old-timer here in the mountains of Calaveras County tell me that when he was a boy, back around the turn of the century they used Sourdough to chink the log cabins with, to doctor burns with, and he even resoled a pair of boots with it one time!

This next recipe incorporates yogurt as one of the main ingredients. These hotcakes are very light and have a wonderful flavor, and must be cooked slowly on a medium-hot griddle. One of my best friends in life, Mr. Sonny Hammond of Portland, Oregon, is responsible for my having this recipe, so I call these Sonny's Hotcakes!