Sour and Chewy - Delicious Overnight Sourdough Bread

In recent weeks I have been experimenting with sourdough, but without the fuss of 'the care and feeding' of a starter. True, the sourdough starters yield exceptional loaves, but really, who has the patience. Especially in the summer when I just want to bake bread and quickly! So, a while ago I developed a method (or maybe I read about it, I can't remember) for making fast, overnight sourdough. Now I am experimenting with different combinations to see how it tastes. I mean, how bad can it be. Anyway, here is my latest offering. It tastes almost like a real honest to goodness sourdough,, but without the fuss. Also, because it has the tanginess of the starter, along with rye flour it makes an exceptional loaf for sandwiches. Especially pastrami with a good sharp mustard. Yum!

Here's What You'll Need:
for the starter

1 cup rye flour
1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp. dry yeast

1. Mix together all the ingredients to form a rather wet paste. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature, preferably overnight.

the next day...

for the bread dough

1 cup bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
or

2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
about 1/3 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)
about 1 Tbs. sesame seeds (optional)
enough water to make a soft, but firm dough

2. Mix the remaining ingredients into the starter, kneading to form a soft, firm dough. If necessary add water, 1 Tbs. at a time as needed. Knead in the nuts and sesame if using. Knead for about 5 minutes then form into a ball, turn to coat in a lightly-oiled bowl, then cover to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

3. Remove the dough from the bowl, form into a tight ball, by stretching the dough from the top to the bottom and place on a baking sheet , covered with baking paper, with the stretched dough down. Cover with a kitchen towel for a second rise, about 45 minutes. If you have tightened it correctly, it will not spread much.

4. About 20 minutes before baking time, heat the oven to 400F (200C). Slash the bread to make the oven spring more effective without tearing the bread, using a sharp serrated knife (or a razor blade).

5. Just before placing in the oven spray the bread with water lightly. You should also spray into the hot oven several times to introduce hot steam into the oven.

6. Bake for 35 minutes or until a deep brown crust has formed and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If you have a baking stone, you can place the baking sheet directly on it, and place the bread on the stone for the last five minutes. Also, you can turn the oven off at the end and leave the bread on the stone for an additional 5 minutes or so, to make an even 'crustier' crust.

7. Cool on a rack.

A First Timer - Whole Wheat Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

OK. Let's make this clear right at the begining. It took more than 5 minutes. In fact, this bread, took 24 hours. About. I started it yesterday when I mixed the dough and finished it today when I shaped the loaf and baked it. The actual shaping of the loaf took less than 5 minutes though. Still, this bread is well worth the effort. I used a recipe from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients, a great book that takes a new and, admittedly, radical approach to making bread. I am very impressed with the result. The loaf looks great, and the taste is fantastic. Also, it has a nice chewy crust and a soft crumb. I toasted a thick slice, put a few pieces of Gouda (which slightly melted on the warm bread) and who needs more? What is a little disconcerting, is that the dough is so wet. It is almost like a starter, except that it doesn't get mixed into additional ingredients. The mixture from Day 1 is the bread!! It really is simple, and so tasty. Maybe not 5 minutes, but well worth the extra time for great results. You won't be sorry!

Here's What You'll Need (for 1 1 1/2 lb. - 680 g.- loaf):
2 cups less 1 Tablespoon (270 g.) whole wheat flour
1 cup less 3 Tablespoons AP flour (100 g.)
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon (13 g. ) wheat gluten
1 1/5 cups (390 ml.) warm water

Here's What You'll Need to Do:
1. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a plastic container with a lid. It should not be air-tight as the gases will build up. But it should be covered so the dough does not dry out.
2. Mix in the water just enough to make sure everything is dampened. You do not need to knead this dough, just be sure it is mixed thoroughly.

3. Allow the dough to rise in the container, covered, until it doubles.
4. Do not punch down the dough!! Instead, place the container, covered, into the refrigerator at least for 3 hours (preferably overnight).

The next day...
1. Prepare a baking tray (or a peel if you have one - I don't) by coating liberally with flour.
2. Gently remove the dough from the container

and, by stretching and shaping, make a ball. Place this shaped loaf on the prepared peel (or board).
3. Cover the dough with oiled plastic wrap for 90 minutes (or 30 minutes if using at room temperature) to rest. It will not rise much, if at all.

4. Meanwhile, about 30 minutes before baking, place an oven tray on the bottom of the oven and a baking stone on the middle rack. Pre-heat the oven to 450 F (220 C).
5. When the oven is ready, pour about 1 cup boiling water into the oven tray and quickly close the door to create a steamy environment.
6. Just before placing in the oven, brush water on the bread, then sprinkle seeds. Slash the bread with a serrated knife to allow gases to escape and for the bread to rise evenly.

6. Place the dough directly on the baking stone (or if on a baking sheet place the sheet directly on the stone).
7. Bake for about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack completely before slicing.