New baker, sort of, with a new sourdough starter

Last year at the local grocery I chanced upon a sourdough starter packet, and decided to buy it. Months later, I finally had some time to put it together. I put the container on the back burner of the stove, and baked something so that the heat would come up through that burner and keep the container nice and warm. Too effective. I killed the yeast, but I gave the mess about two days to really start stinking before I admitted instantaneous defeat. The yeast of my soul felt killed too.

So last week, on Friday, I started a new sourdough sponge. From scratch. I used a recipe calling for whole-wheat flour, warm water, a bit of yeast and a smaller bit of sugar. I am redeemed! The first few days, it smelled wonderfully yeasty, but as I took out some and put in some (flour and water), that smell was eventually replaced by a lovely, fresh sour smell. I'm now using white flour to feed it (Bob's Red Mill, which is fairly comparable to King Arthur products in quality), but may go ahead and just use whole-wheat again.
This weekend I will try a very simple recipe to bake a loaf and see how it all goes.
I do understand that a successful sponge is only half the challenge. When I take that perfect round out of the oven, then I will know I have accomplished all that I set out to do.

What's nice is that several people have requested either offspring sponge or the recipe and instructions for doing their own. I'm so proud of my sour sponge! I took some to work and shoved it under everyone's noses - Here! Smell this! Isn't it just wonderful! ... Why yes, Robyn, thank you for that experience. They'll be jealous when I bring this magickal concoction to work for all to sample and marvel over!

The adventure begins.