Grandma's Sweet Sourdough Bread (Fred Bread)

(This is not the traditional San Francisco style sour dough. The bread is very soft and sweet in flavor. In order to make this bread, you need an established starter. If you don't have access to one, it may be possible to create one using the ingredients used to feed the starter. I have not tried this, so I don't know how it would turn out.))

To feed the starter:

1/2 c. sugar

3 T.  instant potatoes

1 c. warm water

Remove existing starter from refrigerator: Mix together the above ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to starter and mix slightly. Leave the starter out of the refrigerator 8-12 hours after feeding. This does not rise--only bubbles. After 12 hours, stir the starter and take out one cup to make bread (or to discard), and return the remaining starter to the refrigerator until time to feed again.

To make bread: 

Mix together in large bowl:

6 c. bread flour--unsifted

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. salt

Mix together in small bowl:

1 c. starter

1/2 c. melted coconut oil

1 1/2 c.  warm water

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Dough is usually fairly soft and looks dry like biscuit dough. Sometimes it appears sticky, but this does not make a difference in the results. After dough is mixed, transfer to a larger greased bowl, and turn dough over once to grease all sides. Cover loosely with (if air is dry- plastic wrap and) a towel and let stand 8-12 hours to rise. After 8-12 hours, punch the dough down. Knead a little. Divide into 3 or 4 parts (depending on size of pan). Knead each part on a floured board 8-10 times. Put into greased (bottom and sides all the way to the top) loaf pans and brush tops of loaves with it. Cover pans loosely with waxed paper or foil (brush sides of paper next to dough with oil too) and cover all loosely with a towel. Let rise out of draft for 8-12 hours. After the dough has risen for 8-12 hours, bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter and let cool on a rack. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

REMEMBER: Feed the starter every 3-5 days to keep it from going flat. Let stand out of the refrigerator 8-12 hours after feeding.