Here are the books that I read when I was into making my own sourdough. There are TONS of books on this stuff - these are the few that I enjoyed and learned lots from each from best to worst.
Title: Classic Sourdoughs, Revised: A Home Baker's Handbook
Author: Ed Wood, Jean Wood
Title: Crust and Crumb: Master Formulas for Serious Bread Bakers
Author: Peter Reinhart
Title: Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza
Author: Ken Forkish
Title: Beard On Bread
Author: James Beard
I have to admit that I am a sourdough bread fanatic (snob really - sorry) and really enjoyed making it - but with young kids and a new job = they just don't mix. I turned to beer about three years ago and now my sourdough starters just sit in my beer fridge. Every so once in a while I take them out and feed them - but it is just not enough.
I am thinking about starting over if I ever get back into it. When I first started off I just wanted to make bread that I could eat and serve at parties - by the end of the first year I wanted to make bread like I can buy from Raymond's Sourdough, a local SF company that is the best in the world - that's right folks I just said it. Tough chewy crust with a crumb heart of tasty silky smooth moist gold. I got really close but just lack the pro tools that they use. Now I just wait for the trucks to drop it off daily and I just buy a long batard for $3.50 which I go through in about three days.
If you are serious about making sourdough: First read the first book section on sourdough and understand exactly step by step what is involved. Then I would get the starter from ChefRex (this guy knows his $#!t) or you can order a yeast culture from these guys:
http://www.sourdo.com/all-products/ and then have fun with it and use that as a base to add-on separate strains into another colony (read: starter) to see what you can come up with. By using local organic grapes or raisins (I live in the Bay Area so this is easy to do) or other fruits that sit outside in the air for a while each summer, you can have some fun with what you can get. Do these adds at the end of the summer near harvest time and then just let them sit in a little carbon filtered water fro about 3-5days and add King Arthur's bread flour and perhaps the yeast you bought and you are good to go. Yes I am making it more basic than it really it but you get the point don't you?
You just can't do without these - they make the first rise SO much easier it is not funny:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002PMV77G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053NRBO2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
I also cheated and bought these which really help with the bake too:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003SZBSUK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
And you can buy the cast iron skillets and water misters anywhere...
You will do well by getting a good pizza stone and having a convection oven - helps with the steam - but you don't really have to have them.
Edit: added a pic to show you what the difference in finishing texture can be if you add a little bit of powdered corn starch to a little heavy milk (not 1 or 2% - real milk) then paint it on heavy right before you put it in the oven. The better batch is on the right. (yes ChefRex my cuts suxd on that one lol)
Hope this helps!
Let us know how you do...