Salt-Rising Bread

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tlbsps sugar

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cooking oil

2 teaspoons salt

8 cups all-purpose flour -- (up to 81/4) Cook potatoes, covered, in

6 cups unsalted water until tender; drain, reserving

5 cups cooking water. Cool. (Use potatoes for another purpose.) To make starter, combine the

1/2 cup flour, the

2 tablespoons sugar,

1 cup of the reserved potato water, and the yeast. Cover; let stand in warm place several hours. Add the remaining

4 cups potato water and the

1/2 cup sugar. Cover; let stand in warm place overnight. Next day, stir starter; remove

1 cup. Add

2 tablespoons sugar to the

1 cup starter; pour into pint jar. Cover; store in refrigerator until ready to use. To the remaining starter (4 cups), add oil, salt and enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Place in large greased bowl. Let rise in warm place till double, about 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Stir down. Place in greased

12x5-1/2 inch dishpan. Let rise till nearly double, about 1 hour. Bake in

350 degree oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Or, divide dough in thirds. Place in three greased

9x5x3-inch loaf pans or three greased 1-quart casseroles. Let rise till nearly double. Bake in

375 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes. To use reserved starter, proceed as before except substitute the

1 cup reserved starter for the

1 cup potato water.