If you capture a wild yeast, you can let it sit for a long time. I've let them go for several weeks in the fridge. After a couple months it can be iffy as to whether they'll kick in, but usually they do. Years ago I owned a French bakery. We'd mix up our dough for croissants and put it into the cooler until the next morning. Most pizza places do that too. So don't chain yourself to someone's directions unless they can explain with precision why the direction can't be modified. FWIW - I'm in complete agreement with the above. No need to worry about overnight.

Your kitchen does look great and I am betting on the same thing Jersey Joe ahs offered -- a drywall nail through a pipe. We had a screw from cabinet installation go through a wire to the outlet for our freezer. That's fun after the drywall and cabinets are installed, but it looks like you've got a pretty good shot at repairing the leak and ceiling with nothing more than some careful flaoting,,texture and paint to put things back to normal. The remodeling gods are just having a laugh before they go. If they were angry, the leak would be behind the brand new cabinets, beadboard and countertops.

Karen, none of the recipes I found for Ezekiel Bread had sprouts in them... I'm posting these but I know they aren't what you're looking for. Sorry I couldn't help! Ezekiel Bread 4 packets yeast 1 cup warm water 1 tablespoon honey 8 cups wheat flour 4 cups barley flour 2 cups soy flour 1/2 cup millet flour 1/4 cup rye flour 1 cup lentils, cooked and mashed 4 tablespoons olive oil, (4 to 5) 1/2 cup honey, (1/2 to 3/4) 4 cups water 1 tablespoon salt spiced peaches Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water and 1 tablespoon of honey. Set aside 10 minutes. Combine the next five ingredients. Blend lentils, oil, honey and a small amount of water in a blender. Place in a large mixing bowl with remaining water. Stir in two cups of (mixed) flour. Add the yeast mixture. Stir in salt and remaining flour. Place on floured bread board and knead until smooth. Put in oiled bowl. Let rise until double in bulk. Knead again, cut dough and shape into four large loaves. Place in greased pans. Let rise. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour. There is some confusion about the "fitches" called for in the original recipe. Apparently, the fitches referred to a herb. Cumin, fennel and nutmeg have all been suggested as the mistranslated "fitches". Take your pick or leave them out. Any of them will add a unique taste to your homemade bread. Ezekiel bread Ingredients 2 1/2 cups wheat berries 1 1/2 cups spelt flour 1/2 cup barley 1/2 cup millet 1/4 cup dry green lentils 2 tablespoons dry Great Northern beans 2 tablespoons dry kidney beans 2 tablespoons dried pinto beans 4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 1 cup honey 1/2 cup olive oil 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast 2 tablespoons salt Directions 1 Measure the water, honey, olive oil, and yeast into a large bowl. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes. 2 Stir all of the grains and beans together until well mixed. Grind in a flour mill. Add fresh milled flour and salt to the yeast mixture; stir until well mixed, about 10 minutes. The dough will be like that of a batter bread. Pour dough into two greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. 3 Let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until dough has reached the top of the pan. 4 Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes, or until loaves are golden brown.

Thanks for all the answers, folks: I'm glad to hear from other bakers! Of all the breads I hear about here, plllog's are the ones that speak to me most. But, although, if I really set about it with determination and a decent financial investment, I might be able to get the tools and supplies necessary to make bread as I see described here, I'm not willing to do that. I live in the country in Italy, and 98% of my groceries come from our small local supermarket. There is no Costco. No Whole Foods. I have no store that offers rye flour, grain berries, molasses, bran, wheat germ, reasonably priced oatmeal, or a host of other ingredients for baking standard in the U.S. I don't like to drive, I don't like to run around, I'm reluctant to add to our terrible air pollution, and gas costs about $7 a gallon. Add to this the absolutely horrible dis-service offered by our post office-affiliated package delivery company, which, after my last traumatic experience, caused me to swear that I would never again order by mail anything that would have to be delivered through them (there are other couriers, if one has a choice). So I work with what I have. This suits me, from a philosophical and practical standpoint, and while it's likely possible to make better bread, mine makes me happy. I've gotten used to the fresh yeast, which is reliable, and I have a fair variety of recipes I've worked out. The last one was potato and buckwheat (I was able to find buckwheat flour again, thank goodness!) and it turned out really tasty. That one was majority whole grain, simply because I had run out of white, and that improved it. Plllog's comments make me think, again, about how much I could learn about bread baking. The "soaker" is new to me. Who knows, this may stimulate me to some modest experimentation. Like Annie, if I want substantial nourishing bread, I have to make it myself. The Italian bread is good with a bowl of beans and broth but it just doesn't work as standalone food. Add to this that Italians don't really eat breakfast, so there's not much of an offering of sturdy food for the start of the day. I think my tolerance of grain-based foods has diminished as I've grown older, and it may be that baking with a sponge, and adding a variety of ingredients improves the digestibility of my breads. My diet is relatively low in cereals--I eat them regularly, but in much smaller amounts than when I was younger--and I mostly eat bread as the centerpiece of breakfast. It powers me up! in the most satisfactory way. Today is the potato and buckwheat bread--we're on our last loaf; I'll have to make more. There's a non-sweet almond bread in the freezer, made with milk, olive oil, and lots of almonds. If it gets cold enough I might even want to try a sweet bread. I made one last year with raisins, fennel, and orange juice and peel that I remember as being good. The basic dough of that one was similar to that of the almond bread, made with milk and oil. The loaves made with fats don't need butter. All my breads are part whole-grain, usually one third, though I may try upping that in some cases.