Sourdough Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup Sourdough Starter, at room temperature (Below)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Combine flour and baking soda in a nonmetal bowl; stir well. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add Sourdough Starter and buttermilk, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead lightly 10 to 12 times.

Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 2 3/4-inch biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, and brush tops with butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Sourdough Starter

1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a medium-size nonmetal bowl, and stir well. Gradually stir in 2 cups warm water. Add yeast mixture, and mix well.

Cover starter loosely with plastic wrap or cheesecloth; let stand in a warm place (85 degrees) for 72 hours, stirring 2 or 3 times daily. Place fermented mixture in refrigerator, and stir once a day.

To use, remove sourdough starter from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour.

Stir starter well, and measure amount needed for recipe. Replenish remaining with starter food (recipe follows), and return to refrigerator; use starter within 2 to 14 days, stirring daily.

When Starter is used again, repeat above procedure for using starter and replenishing with Starter Food.

Stir ingredients into remaining Starter.