Sourdough Starter and Hotcakes

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1-1/2 cups lukewarm water

2 cups all-purpose flour

Soften yeast in water. Add flour and stir to mix. Put in a glass, ceramic or china container with a loose lid. (Never use a metal container for sourdough starter, and be sure it's plenty big, as the starter expands.) Let set at room temperature for 3 days, stirring once or twice a day. The starter will "work" and will have a definite sour odor. After the starter has soured, it can be stored in the refrigerator until used.

SOURDOUGH HOTCAKES:

The night before you plan to make hotcakes, take the starter out of the refrigerator and add to it 2-1/4 to 3 cups flour and 1/2-cup lukewarm water. This amount can vary in order to get the right consistency.

The next morning, dip out enough for the "heel", about a cup of the starter, to save for the next time. This is returned to the refrigerator. To the rest of the starter, add 2 or 3 tablespoons sugar (to help the hotcakes brown) and 2 teaspoons salt. Beat in 2 eggs. Just before it's time to bake the hotcakes, add 3/4 teaspoon baking soda. Stir just enough to mix. Bake on a skillet or a cast-iron griddle, which has been greased.