[1] The starter is a substitute for baking yeast and can be used to make many kinds of yeast-based breads, shared with friends, or frozen for future use.

[5] Starter can easily be created from scratch with a package of regular baker's yeast and the ingredients that are used to maintain it.

Typically, however, a friend shares a cup of the liquid yeast culture with people who would like to make this bread.

The starter is typically maintained by adding sugar, flour and milk every few days, although any source of water and food for the yeast will work.

A common suggestion is to bake one loaf of bread, give away three cups of starter, and to save the remaining one for the next cycle.