Mix this dough at noon and bake tomorrow at noon. Or mix this evening…
KISS – Overnight Wild Yeast Water Bread
You’ve made a jar of wild yeast water, now let’s KISS – Keep-It-Super-Simple and bake bread!
UPDATE: Instructions for using WYW preferment in this recipe
If you’d like to use this recipe with Wild Yeast Water preferment (preferment instructions here in step 1), it totally works! See notes and photos in the instructions below.
If you happen to be here and not familiar with yeast water, I’m talking about natural yeast in water. Yeast water works like sourdough starter but does not need feeding or discarding to stay active for 2 months or more. I make yeast water with raisins, dried dates, or dried cherries. Flowers, herbs, and many other fresh fruits such as apples, figs, cherries, can also be used to make yeast water.
It takes about a week to ferment your first jar of wild yeast water, then the water (WYW) keeps refrigerated ready to use for a month or more. When you’re ready, the water is ready for this overnight no-knead recipe. No feeding or discarding ‘kneaded’. The process can be zero waste too, by using the spent dates in this Apple Date Snack Cake, or cherries in this One Bowl Almond Cherry Snack Cake.
Click here for how to start your first jar of yeast water. Read more about yeast water in this post, or download Step-by-Step How to Make Yeast Water.
Click here for how to convert sourdough recipes to Wild Yeast Water
For additional YW bread baking detail and recipes, click over to my Overnight No Knead Yeast Water Bread or my Simpler Than Sourdough recipes. See you in the kitchen and please check in with questions and photos of your baking!
These are my favorite and most important tools for successful bread baking.
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Click to read more about the Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer that’s also a slow-cooker!
KISS Overnight Wild Yeast Water Bread
This is the simplest way to stir up wild yeast water dough today to bake tomorrow. No 'knead' to feed a starter before baking, just use your water! I recommend weighing all ingredients for best results. This makes a 75% hydration bread: 375g total liquid divided by 500g total flour. See note below about flours and hydration.NOTE: Alternative method using prepared preferment. Either method makes a great over-night loaf. The preferment replaces 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of yeast water. The loaf will have a little longer shelf-life compared to using straight yeast water. Make the preferment with your choice of flour. I usually use 50g hi-protein flour and 50g whole wheat or spelt flour. Stir together the yeast water and flour and let stand at about 75F until double, then add this to the dough with the remaining flour and water. No additional yeast water is needed, as long as the preferment has doubled in 10-12 hours at 75F, there should be plenty of active yeast for the main dough.
Equipment
- gram weight scale I like this scale High Capacity Baking Scale – Brod & Taylor (brodandtaylor.com)
- a warm place to proof dough I highly recommend this proofing box which folds flat for storage Folding Proofer with Accessory Shelf – Brod & Taylor (brodandtaylor.com)
- 1 Dutch oven that can be heated to at least 475F.
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 plastic bench scraper or flexible spatula
- 1 piece of parchment paper
Ingredients
- 400 grams bread flour about 3 cups (best to weigh)
- 100 grams whole wheat flour about 3/4 cup – see note below
- 10 grams kosher salt about 1Tbsp, or 2 tsp table salt
- 275 grams tap water about 1-1/4 cup (best to weigh)
- 100 grams wild yeast water, shake before measuring about 7 Tbsp.
Ingredients if using prepared WYW Preferment
- 300 grams bread flour
- 100 grams whole wheat flour
- 10 grams salt
- 275 grams tap water
- 200 grams prepared preferment (100g flour + 100g WYW, mixed, and let double over 8-12hrs. Or, after it has doubled it can be refrigerated up to 48hrs and removed from refrigerator for 2-3hrs.)
Instructions
- Plan on about 20 hours from first mixing until shaping the dough. Once shaped, the dough can be baked immediately or refrigerated about 12 hours. I like to start the dough before 3pm then finish shaping by noon the following day.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together both flours and the salt.
- Combine the tap water and yeast water (no yeast water here if using preferment) and heat to about 85F (about 30 seconds in microwave). Pour all at once over the flour (add preferment here if using) and stir with a wooden spoon or mix with hands until all the flour is just moistened. Scrape down sides of bowl with a plastic scraper.
- The dough will look rough when first mixed. This is ok. Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic (shower cap or bowl cover works well) and let stand 15-30 minutes, or up to an hour.
- Now give the dough a slap and fold about 12 times or more until the dough becomes smooth and feels a little taught and easily shapes into a ball. If the dough doesn't smooth out, be sure you are folding completely over the ball of dough, not part way across, before starting the next stretch and fold. See link in the notes below for how to slap 'n fold.If you skip this step you'll still get a great loaf of bread. Slapping helps stretch the gluten and improves the holes which are called the 'crumb'.
- Cover the bowl again and leave at room temperature, ideally 72-75F, for 12-18 hours. Lower temperature could require 20-24hrs to double. Look for the dough to be at least doubled in volume, smooth on top, and slightly domed with some bubbles around the edges. For consistent proofing temperature, I use the Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer
- The dough might be very bubbly! This was 12 hours at 70F in my proofer box.
- Pre-shaping: Leave the dough in the bowl and gently stir it down with a scraper or spatula, folding over in 90 degree turns several times. Using hands or scraper, firmly push and tuck edges under to shape dough into a ball with a slightly taught surface.
- Cover the bowl and rest dough for 30-60 minutes. The dough should feel soft to the touch and slightly springy with little bubbles forming just under the surface.
- Final shaping: Turn out top side down on a lightly floured work surface. See link in notes below on how to shape. Let rest in flour dusted basket at room temperature up to 2 hours then bake either in a *cold or pre-heated Dutch oven per directions below. Or, refrigerate dough in a flour dusted cloth lined basket or bowl, covered, up to 24 hours before baking (shower cap, plastic bag, or dough cover work well for covering) *See comparison of baking in a cold or a preheated Dutch oven: Hot Bake or Cold Bake — your choice! – Rosemary Mark
- To bake, invert the shaped dough onto a parchment lined plate or tray. Slash top of dough with a lame or sharp knife. Slide into cold or preheated Dutch oven per instructions below.
- COLD BAKE METHOD: These directions are from Elaine Boddy https://foodbodsourdough.com/ to bake from cold start oven. Transfer dough on parchment paper to unheated Dutch oven. Place in cold oven. Set oven to 450°F (425°F convection). Bake covered for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake additional 10 minutes or until well browned. Turn out immediately onto a cooling rack.PREHEAT BAKE METHOD: While dough is resting, preheat a heavy Dutch oven to 500°F (475°F convection). NOTE: The pan must be a glazed pan that can withstand 475-500°F or a cast iron Dutch oven or skillet. Do not place empty pan in preheated oven as it can craze enamel surface. Allow at least 30 minutes for pan and oven to super-heat. My oven takes 45 minutes.Bake 25 minutes covered then uncover and continue to bake about 10 minutes until loaf is well browned. I prefer a very well-browned crust so usually I place the loaf directly on the oven rack to bake additional 5-7 minutes, after the 10 minutes uncovered.
- Wait at least an hour before slicing—-if you can! Slicing hot bread will crush the interior crumb making it gummy.
Notes
Links to videos:
How to Slap ‘n Fold dough
How to Stretch ‘n Fold dough
How to Shape ‘KISS’ Dough
Other tips:
 About 5 hours after mixing the dough, you can give it a gentle stretch and fold which helps strengthen the gluten to improve the interior crumb. Do this by lifting the edge of the dough with slightly damp hands, and gently pulling the dough towards the center working equally around the bowl in 4 or 5 stretches. End by turning the dough over in a ball with smooth side up. Cover again and continue with the rise until about double with small bubbles on top. Whole wheat flours vary in water absorption, so if using an ancient grain like Einkorn or Khorasan, it’s possible the dough feels a little wet because those flours absorb a little less water than ‘regular’ whole wheat. For example: Einkorn takes 20 to 30% less hydration, so if you using 20% einkorn, use 6% less water over all to achieve the same hydration, which would be about 22grams less water in this recipe.
 About 5 hours after mixing the dough, you can give it a gentle stretch and fold which helps strengthen the gluten to improve the interior crumb. Do this by lifting the edge of the dough with slightly damp hands, and gently pulling the dough towards the center working equally around the bowl in 4 or 5 stretches. End by turning the dough over in a ball with smooth side up. Cover again and continue with the rise until about double with small bubbles on top. Whole wheat flours vary in water absorption, so if using an ancient grain like Einkorn or Khorasan, it’s possible the dough feels a little wet because those flours absorb a little less water than ‘regular’ whole wheat. For example: Einkorn takes 20 to 30% less hydration, so if you using 20% einkorn, use 6% less water over all to achieve the same hydration, which would be about 22grams less water in this recipe.
KISS made with Preferment per recipe above.
Interesting. I’m not a bread baker, but do make breakfast muffins this time of year. Happy Thanksgiving!
I am an avid bread baker but sourdough has alluded me. I can’t wait to try this method of making sourdough, Rosemary makes this so simple, I don’t think I can mess it up.
This is THE way to make long-rise breads if you have tired of feeding sourdough starter. The long fermentation makes a subtle flavor difference that is so good. Plus the breads keep fresh longer than active dry yeast breads.
Hi, I’ve been making SD bread, but like many others I’ve become tired of all the feeding! Can’t wait to make this, but I have to eat gluten free and was wondering if you can tell me how to replace the flour with Einkorn WW and/or AP flour?
Also, microwaving the WY water (if even only to temp of 85) doesn’t kill the live yeast?
Thank You!!
Sandy – Einkorn can replace the whole wheat flour. I think you might be asking about replacing the AP flour with gluten free flour? I have never tried that. Since I do not bake gluten free artisan bread, I recommend looking at the website http://www.letthemeatglutenfreecake.com I have successfully made her sourdough starter with gluten free flours and wild yeast water, then followed her formula for gluten free bread. There are photos in my Instagram highlights. I hope that helps. As for heating the yeast water, as long as it stays below 90F it will be fine. Over 95F most likely will kill the yeast cells.
I made my first loaf of kiss with preferment. I replaced 25g of yeast water for water in this recipe.
My preferment had been in fridge for 6 days. It doubled in vol. in about 8 hrs. Had a little trouble with slap and fold as dough was a little wet and didn’t ball up well. I managed but will improve in that area. Bread had a nice spring when baked and am happy with the taste. Will make again
Thanks. Think I will like this yeast water baking.
Helene
Thank you for sharing this Helene! During the slap and fold, you could try letting the dough rest for about a minute, then do some more. Also be sure to fold all the way across the dough when folding. Feel free to post your progress!
A lifetime (50+ years) of bread baking experience here, but I have never tried a pure YW bread before, but from time to time I use YW in my sourdough preferments to improve rise and proofing time consistency. I had come across this recipe some two or three years ago, bookmarked it, and waited for the right time to test it. This time came yesterday 🙂 Not quite trusting that 12 slap and folds would do the trick, I gave it some 4 or 5 additional stretch and fold cycles over the first two hours of bulk fermentation. Unfortunately I let the dough overferment–8 or 9 hours from mixing it had not really started to rise yet, so I went to sleep. When I woke up 8 hours later, it had already overfermented–it had risen to perhaps 3-4 times the original volume. Still, it was not difficult to shape, but–like all overfermented breads do–it had disappointing oven spring and was a bit too relaxed to really keep it’s shape, so it came out too flat and wide. Nonetheless, it is quite tasty!
I will try again for sure, just have to watch the bulk fermentation time a lot closer.
And here are some comments on other matters you address in your recipes:
* I made some experiments testing storage duration of YW and SD starter in the fridge — the longest I kept YW and 60% hydration sourdough stored in the fridge was 7 months and it worked just fine, no noticeable deterioration in ability to leaven my dough from either. SD required an additional feeding to wake up well.
* If you bake with sourdough al least once every two or three weeks, there is no need to fuss with feeding it or discards–just do what the bakers used to do in the olden days–pinch some preferment and keep in in the refrigerator (used to be in the root cellar) to use as starter in your next bake. My starter keeps reliably this way in the fridge at 40-42°F for four weeks plus.
Adam – It’s great to hear your experience with YW and SD. I’ve not done a lot of combining the two, but a benefit is that the SD will provide some sour tang that typically is quite mild with YW. I’m delighted to hear the YW stayed active for 7 months, I have experienced that as well. My SD is usually 100% hydration, and I can see how the low percent makes sense for longer storage.
Questions/comments
1)do you know what temp your KISS bulk ferment was? If the YW is quite active and the bulk temp was 75 or higher, I have also experienced the dough more than doubling in less than 10 hours. It’s usually slow at first, so I’ve been surprised too by morning. Have also had that happen with the over-night focaccia. I could add a note on the recipes about this.
2) did you cold proof before baking? This might have kept the bread from flattening so much, but once over-proofed usually best plan is to bake immediately, as your SD baking experience told you. OR bake in a loaf pan, or even low rimmed pan like focaccia, to give the slack dough a chance to hold shape.
3) I agree it seems the KISS dough would need some folds, but it actually works without! Like the popular no-knead recipes. But I too like to give the dough benefit of the doubt, and like the feel of folding and watching it smooth out. 🙂
If you’d like to share photos of your bakes, feel free to email reciperose@rosemarymark.com I really appreciate seeing how bakers use YW, and hearing what they think of it. As long as we bake with a dough of our own understanding, it’s great!
Thanks so much for saving my page and giving YW a try!
Thank you very much for your patience with my rumblings!
The 60% hydration SD I keep long term is for recovery purposes, just in case I, or a family member, somehow obliterate the 20 or 30 grams od preferment I have saved from the last bake.
My bulk ferment was initially at 72°F, but when it had not moved in 9 hrs, I moved it to the bathroom, where it was about a degree warmer (73°F), so the tripling ot quadrupling of the volume 8 hours later totally took me by surprise! I think it’s a great idea to put a note about this. Otherwise I am very happy with the recipe, I will definitely bake it again, everybody loved the (flattish) YW bread!
It’s very interesting to realize how we look at things from an individual perspective — for you SD adds a tang to a YW bread, while for me, YW improves rise in a SD bread! 🙂
I can also totally relate to your liking to work with do, I also love the feel of wheat (i.e. capable of developing gluten) dough and will work it just for the fun of how it feels against my hands.
I didn’t bake the overfermented dough in a pan today, because it held itself together enough for me to shape it. so I went ahead and baked it in a dutch oven.
I’ll send some pictures of my SD breads baked with YW in the preferment, so feel free to do with them whatever you like, but even though I bake usually 2-3 breads a week, I am neither any good at, nor very big on taking pictures and the bread usually gets half eaten before the idea of taking a picture first crosses my mind 🙂
Thanks so much for this detail! Your photos are fantastic and various rye breads really intriguing. If any readers would like to see the photos please email me since I’m not able to add them here. Glad to hear the breads are consumed faster than the camera shutter clicks!