Makes About 3 Cups In a large bowl, whisk the yeast into the lukewarm water until dissolved and let sit for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and mix for 3 minutes. Scrape the sponge into a medium nonreactive container, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a draft-free spot until risen, very thick and sticky, about 8 hours. Stir the sponge down with a wooden spoon before measuring. (Once risen, the sponge can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before using. If you dont use it within 3 days, it can be refreshed by the following method. Discard all but 1 cup of the existing sponge. Make the recipe as above, stirring in the reserved sponge when you add the flour. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes with a wooden spoon.) bread 05