Letting a loaf of bread take an overnight rest in the refrigerator has a lot of advantages. For one thing, the flavor improves. For another, the gluten becomes active, so you don't need to knead as much. I think it's particularly useful with rye breads. Rye is tasty enough on its own but since it doesn't have as much gluten as wheat bread, letting it rest overnight is a much easier way to let the gluten develop. More