How to get a sourdough like effect without the hassle of a real sourdough starter? I enjoy making bread, but the bread I make using standard yeast of course lacks that sourdough taste.   But the process of making and maintaining a sourdough starter frankly requires a bit too much work and consistent attention from me.  Is there a way to approximate that sourdough taste using a process less complicated and high-maintenance than a "real" sourdough starter? 

(As a footnote, ideally this would be a process that could start the night before one made bread, but not much more than that).
You can try a pâté fermentee. This is essentially a dough you leave to prove overnight. It is how most french bread is made. You simply make half a batch of dough, leave it overnight, then make the other half and knead the PF through it. While the flavour isn't quite as sour as sourdough, it does have a bit more of a tang than 'normal' bread.

You might also try a slow, 2 or 3 day prove in the fridge for any bread dough.