Thanks for answering my question about "discarding," Barb -- now I get it. That makes total sense! I understand not everyone can bake every week. I used to have that problem until I started using the slow-rise method (the second one on the paper that came with the KA starter) and came to realize how friendly it is for those of us with full-time jobs. I'm a systems analyst and have found when I apply my professional skills to my home life, certain tasks (like bread baking) can become much simpler. Here is my usual approach, for anyone who is interested: I feed the starter early Thursday morning when the coffee is brewing. When I get home from work I mix a cup of starter with three cups of flour and one and a half cups of water in a bowl, and put the remaining starter back in the fridge. I cover the bowl with a shower cap and leave it on the counter until I go to bed, at which point I put it in the fridge. On Saturday (or Sunday) morning while the coffee is brewing, I knead in the remaining ingredients, place the ball into a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a shower cap, and leave it on the counter for at least five hours. That afternoon, I put a piece of parchment on a half-sheet pan, divide the dough into two oval pieces, place them on the pan, and cover them with a towel for another two or three hours. Finally, I preheat the oven to 425F, slash the loaves, and bake them for half an hour. As you can see, there really isn't a lot of hands-on active time. The most time-consuming part is kneading in the last of the flour mixture. My technique is to scatter some of the flour mixture (from the Tupperware container) on the counter, dump the dough onto it, scatter more mixture on the top, and systematically fold up the edges on the dough over the top with a rubber spatula, working round and round and scattering more mixture on top until it's all incorporated. I've read that folding is a great alternative to kneading, and I can keep one hand free (and clean) to drink my morning coffee (answer the phone, whatever) while I fold. Some of my favorite public radio programs are on early Saturday and Sunday morning, so while I’m folding I’m listening to “Bob Edwards’ Weekend” or “On Being.” I further simplify things by measuring out all the dry ingredients when I feed the starter. After I add a cup of flour to the starter, I measure three cups of flour into the mixing bowl I'll use for the slow rise, and then I measure two cups of flour in a two-cup Tupperware container, pausing after the first cup to stir in the salt and sugar so it is already mixed together when I add it on Saturday (or Sunday) morning. BTW the shower caps come from various hotels I have stayed at over the years. I always try to ask for one because they are utilitarian (i.e. no ruffles or terry lining) for kitchen use – they save me a lot of struggling with plastic wrap. And they're free! Baking bread every week makes me feel so happy, and I am grateful for the ways in which KA participates in the process. The starter came from KA, the crock is KA, the flour (of course) is KA, that package of 100 parchment sheets from KA is invaluable, and I just treated myself to the KA dough whisk, which I'll use for the first time this Thursday. I'm so excited!

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