Sourdough French Bread
["1 1/2 c. warm water", "1 c. sourdough starter", "2 tsp. sugar", "1/2 tsp. baking soda", "extra flour (for kneading)", "1 pkg. yeast", "4 c. flour", "2 tsp. salt"]
["Pour warm water into a large bowl; stir in yeast.", "Add starter, 4 cups flour, salt and sugar.", "Stir vigorously about 3 minutes with a wooden spoon.", "Turn into a large greased bowl; cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.", "Mix soda with 1 cup of extra flour and stir in.", "The dough will be very stiff. Turn dough out onto a floured board and begin kneading.", "Add 1 cup extra flour to control the stickiness.", "Knead until satiny, 5 to 8 minutes.", "Shape into two oblong loaves or one large loaf.", "Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.", "Cover and place in a warm place. Let rise until nearly double in size.", "Just before baking, brush outside with water and make slashes on the top with a sharp knife. Bake at 400\u00b0 until crust is a medium dark brown, about 45 minutes."]
["water", "sourdough starter", "sugar", "baking soda", "extra flour", "yeast", "flour", "salt"]