I purchased starter from:
http://www.sourdo.com/I bought a set of two New Zealand starters, one for rye, one for wheat. Instructions come with the starter for feeding and storing.
For bread baking, I highly recommend the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book. I've been baking for ages and don't use a recipe (sorry!), but go more by experience and feel.
Usually, I start the starter a couple of days ahead of time, feeding and stirring once or twice a day, so that I end up with about 3 pints of starter for the bread.
1) Pour the starter into your mixing bowl. If you want lots of loaves, you can add water to thin the starter.
2) Add your flour, any combination of: whole wheat flour; rye flour (don't use more than 1/3 rye flour, you need wheat for the gluten); soaked rye, barley, or oat flakes. Stir the flour in as you add it. Your goal is a really stiff, fairly dry dough (you will be adding more water later). Stir in a tablespoon of salt, more or less to taste.
3) Begin to knead the dry, stiff dough. Every few strokes, poke finger holes into the top of the dough and dribble in some warm water (half a cup or less). Continue to knead until the water is absorbed. Repeat these steps until you have a soft, bouncy, alive-feeling dough. It will be a little bit sticky, but not much. If it gets too soft and sticky you can add a bit more flour, but try not to do this as it will make the finished bread heavier.
4) When the dough is smooth and elastic, round it up into a ball and put it in the bowl to rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft-free place. I use my electric oven with the oven light turned on. Don't oil the bowl and don't put any dry flour on the outside of the loaf.
5) Rising times with sourdough can vary greatly. You want the dough to double in size, so that when you poke it with your finger, the dent stays. This can take the "normal" 2 hours, but it can also take longer. Be patient. The dough needs to mature.
6) After the first rise, punch the dough down, knead it a little, and set it to rise again. Usually this will take half as long as the first rise. Again, give it the time it needs to mature.
7) After the second rise, shape the loaves. Pan loaves are easy. If you want rounded hearth-style loaves, round the dough and then keep running your hands down the sides of the round to make a good top. You want to leave a bit of a "foot" at the lower edge of the loaf.
Let the loaves rise while the oven heats to 425 degrees. You want the loaves to be fully risen and soft. A gentle poke with your finger should barely rise back up again, and the loaf should feel sort of like a fluffed pillow.
9) Slide the loaves into the very hot oven. Close the door gently. Bake for 10 minutes at 425, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for about an hour longer. Don't open the door during baking until the loaves are nearly done.
10) Check for doneness. A finished loaf sounds sort of hollow when you thump it.
11) Cool the loaves under a light dry dish towel, and try not to slice one for at least an hour after baking. Don't put the loaves in bags until they are completely cool. I often let them cool, under the towel, overnight.