I don't post often, but had to add my agreement about using sour dough
starter. I hardly ever bake a bread without it because breads made with my
starter are always better tasting and smelling, and have a great crust and
crumb. But because I work 10 or more hours a day, it is hard to find time
to keep the starter going. Since I use my starter once to twice a week, it
is not really sour.
My routine is:
1. 6 pm, when I get home from work, take the cold starter out of the frig.
2. After dinner, refresh the starter.
3. 11 pm, before bed, make a preferment out of whole wheat and rye, cover
and leave on the counter overnight.
4. 7 am, add the remaining ingredients and mix/kneed into a dough. I place
the dough in an oiled plastic container, seal tightly, place in the frig
and go to work.
5. 6 pm, get home, take the dough out (it has usually risen double) and let
it warm up to about 65 degrees (takes about 3 hours)
6. 9 pm shape, proof 1 hr
7. 10 pm bake
8. 11 pm place on the rack to cool overnight.
Start to finish 36 hours, but very little of my time, which I sandwich into
free time during the work week.
Lloyd in NJ