Homemade Sourdough Bread

The evening before baking, prepare the starter: in a larger bowl, mix active rye sourdough with 100 g of bread flour and 100 ml of lukewarm water. Mix thoroughly, cover with a cloth, and let it rise at room temperature for 8-12 hours, until the starter doubles in volume and begins to crack on the surface.

To the finished starter, add the remaining bread flour, whole grain rye flour, pour in lukewarm water, and add salt with caraway seeds. Using your hand or a mixer with a hook, knead into a smooth, slightly sticky dough for about 8-10 minutes.

Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours. During this time, fold the dough two to three times, always lifting the edge and folding it to the center, which strengthens the gluten network.

Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and carefully shape it into an oval or round loaf. Place it smooth side down in a floured proofing basket, cover with a cloth, and let it rise in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours (or 2 hours at room temperature).

One hour before baking, preheat the oven to 250 °C and place a cast iron pot with a lid or an empty baking sheet on the bottom rack to heat up sufficiently.

Carefully flip the risen loaf onto baking paper, score the surface with a sharp knife or razor in a grid pattern or with one deep cut, and place it along with the paper into the preheated pot. Cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes at 250 °C.

Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 220 °C, and bake the bread for an additional 20-25 minutes until it has a dark golden crispy crust. When tapped on the bottom, the bread should sound hollow.

Remove the baked loaf from the pot and let it cool on a rack for at least an hour to finish baking inside and to stabilize the crumb. Only then slice it, as warm bread has a gummy texture.

Serve with quality butter, cheese, with soup, or just with olive oil and salt.