Traditional Sourdough Bread (small loaf for 4 servings)

Prepare the starter: measure 100 g of wheat flour into a small bowl, add 100 ml of slightly warm water (about 35°C — it should feel pleasantly warm to the touch on the inner side of your wrist) along with 20 g of fresh yeast crumbled by hand and 5 g of sugar (from the total amount of sugar). Mix with a spoon or fork just until the ingredients are combined to form a thick, not too runny paste. Cover the bowl with a cloth and set it in a warm place for 10–15 minutes. After this time, a foam and small bubbles should appear on the surface of the starter — this is a sign of active yeast.

In a large bowl, sift the remaining flour (about 400 g). Make a wide well in the center. Pour the active starter into it. Add the rest of the water (about 230 ml), the remaining sugar (5 g), and half of the salt (5 g) spread around the edge of the bowl (the salt should not touch the starter directly at first). Start mixing with a wooden spoon from the center outwards, gradually combining the flour with the liquid until the mixture begins to come together into a loose dough.

Add the soft butter (20 g) cut into small pieces and the remaining salt (if not added yet). Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and start kneading: press the dough with your fist, fold it over itself, turn it a quarter turn, and repeat. Knead for 8–10 minutes by hand until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and stops sticking strongly to your hands (it should be soft, slightly sticky, but not runny). If using a stand mixer, knead on medium speed with a hook for 5–7 minutes.

Transfer the kneaded dough to a lightly oiled bowl (use a bit of oil or greased paper). Turn the dough once so that the entire surface gets a thin layer of fat. Cover the bowl with a tight cloth or plastic wrap and set it in a warm place (temperature around 24–26°C) for 60–90 minutes, until the volume of the dough doubles. Properly rising dough will gently spring back when pressed with a finger but will leave a slight indentation.

When the dough has doubled in size, gently transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Release the air: fold the dough in half and gently press down with your hand several times to remove large air bubbles. If you are adding caraway seeds, sprinkle them on top now and lightly press them into the dough. Shape the loaf: fold the edges underneath to create a taut surface on top (this is called tightening the dough). Place the loaf in a buttered loaf pan about 20–22 cm long or on a baking sheet (if baking without a pan, shape the bread into an oval). Sprinkle the top with a mixture of seeds, if using.

Cover the shaped loaf with a cloth and let it rest for 45–60 minutes in a warm place. The bread should increase in volume by about 70–90% and feel fluffy to the touch. If you are using a loaf pan, it should be filled to about 80% of its height.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (top-bottom). Place a small baking tray at the bottom of the oven (this will create steam). Just before placing the loaf in, pour about 100 ml of boiling water into the hot tray (be careful of the steam!). Put the bread in the oven and bake for the first 10 minutes at 220°C with steam (this helps achieve a crispy crust), then reduce the temperature to 200°C and bake for another 25–30 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown. The total baking time should be 35–40 minutes.

After baking, remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Leave the bread to cool for at least 60 minutes — cutting into a loaf that is too hot will cause the crumb to collapse and the knife to stick. Once cooled, use a long serrated bread knife and slice the bread with a steady, smooth sawing motion to achieve even slices.

If you want, you can prepare a version with wholemeal flour: replace 100–150 g of wheat flour with wholemeal flour (rye or whole wheat), but remember that you need to increase the amount of water by 10–20 ml, as wholemeal flour absorbs more liquid. Instead of seeds, you can use flour to create a pattern on top.