Bob's Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe (revised)

I got this recipe off the Yahoo Sourdough Group. Barb in Ocala had posted the original and her revised version. I made two small changes to her revision. I used honey instead of sugar and I increased the amount of salt to 1 tablespoon.

BOB'S BASIC SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE(Revised)

Yield: 3 large loaves or 4 small loaves

INGREDIENTS:
Sugar 2/3 cup (222 grams) (I cut the sugar to 1/4 cup)
Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup (120 grams)
1 teaspoon salt (8 grams)
1 cup active starter (273 grams)
1-1/2 cups warm water (364 grams)
6 cups bread flour (810 grams)

I start with 5 cups of bread flour and then add the remaining cup as needed,
depending on the humidity.

Mix ingredients in a large bowl.

Grease or oil a container. (I use a clear, straight-sided plastic container)

 I picked 2 of these up at Walmart for less than $2.50

Put dough in container and flip over to cover top of dough with oil or grease.
Cover with a clean, damp cloth.

Let stand 6-8 hours or overnight.

This is after 4 hours

Punch down and divide into 3 parts. Knead each part 8-10 times on a lightly
floured surface.
Shape and put into 3 greased (I use a non-stick cooking spray) pans and brush
tops with oil (or butter).

Cover and let rise 4-5 hours. I put pans in a large plastic bag and tuck the
ends under the pans to make it airtight. Make sure you tent the bags.
Instead of plastic bags I use clear disposable shower caps that can be picked up at your favorite dollar discount store.  They normally come 10 for $1 

Bake at 325F to 350F for 30-35 minutes.
After baked, for a softer crust, brush tops with butter and cool on cooling
rack.
When cool, wrap in plastic cling wrap, then aluminum foil and freeze.