Raisins (organic is the best – no wax on them), water & a bit of
sugar to speed things up (I use 1 box of raisins [the kind you get
for the kids lunchbox], about 2 c of water and a tbsp of sugar).
Mix together in a jar with a loose lid (that you can tighten) and
shake it up. Set on the counter (with lid loose) and leave for 24
hrs. Tighten lid, shake and loosen lid and leave for another 24 hrs
– you should start to see bubbles as it starts to ferment.

When you see the raisins float and the water bubble a bit, you can
use the water. This usually takes 3 – 5 days (if you start with an
old batch of water, it can be as little as 1 day).

Once the water is ready, then you add 3.2 oz of water to 3.5 oz of
flour and make a pre-ferment. Let double (about 6 hrs) and then
make a wet dough and let double (another 4-6 hrs) and then you
can make a firm dough, pizza dough, bagels, etc

I have pictures at http://mumscafe.blogspot.com/

I am making baguettes with these and they are awesome – light
crisp crust with a sweet aftertaste. You can add a bit of
sourdough starter to this dough to give it some tang.

I’ve been experimenting with the sourdough starter you have and
so far the taste is awesome.

thanks again for your pictures (I’m a visual learner) – love your
instructions.

Yes, you can add smaller amounts each day and still achieve the same result.

Your starter should be just fine…in different climates and such, everyone’s starter is going to look and act a little differently. Hopefully your bread turned out great!