Heat your water until almost boiling, just small bubbles around the outside of the pan. Add this to a heatproof medium-size bowl along with cornmeal, 1/4 tsp salt, baking soda, and sugar and combine. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place to proof for around 8-10 hours.

o your smelly starter add the milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and enough all-purpose flour to make the starter look like thick pancake batter, about 4 cups. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the bowl into a container of warm water (between 90°F and 100°F). Do this until your mixture has doubled in size, about 2-4 hours.

Add to your stand mixer along with the remaining salt, butter, and 2-4 cups of flour. Knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into three loaf pans and let rest until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 375F.

Bake the loaves for 30-40 minutes and brush with butter after removing from the oven. Let cool and enjoy.