This starter takes about 2 weeks to create, but the longer you keep it going, the better it will be.

1. Day 1: Combine 1 cup water, yeast, and 1 cup flour in a ceramic or glass bowl. Stir to combine, cover loosely with damp cheesecloth or towel, and set aside at room temperature. Stir this mixture once a day for the next 3 days.

2. Day 5: Add to the starter 1 cup water and 1 cup flour. Stir well, cover again, and set aside at room temperature for another 4 days, stirring once a day, as before.

3. Day 10: Again, add 1 cup water and 1 cup flour. Mix thoroughly. Let stand at room temperature loosely covered for 6 hours, or until the starter foams and doubles in volume. The starter is now ready to use.

4. To keep your starter alive, replace the quantity that has been used with an equal amount of water and flour (for every 1 cup used, replace with ½ cup water and ½ cup flour). Keep covered, stir it every day, and feed it every 5 days by removing some starter and again replacing it with an equal amount of water and flour. If you do not wish to feed it, but want to keep it, cover, airtight, and refrigerate indefinitely, taking it out and repeating the process (removing and replacing 1 cup as before) for 10 days before using it again.