Rye bread, without the rush

Sourdough, water, flour and time. Not much else is needed. Rye bread is one of those things that do not thank you for hurrying.

I mix the dough in the evening: two decilitres of starter, half a litre of cold water, rye flour and a pinch of salt. The dough is stiff and sticky, and that is exactly as it should be. I cover the bowl with a cloth and leave it overnight in the warmest corner of the kitchen.

Good bread is born from waiting, not from skipping steps.

By morning the dough has risen and its surface is full of small bubbles. I press it into a tin, prick the top with a fork and bake slowly, about forty-five minutes, on the lower rack.

The best bread is still warm with butter, but the next day it makes excellent sandwiches. On the third day it is at its finest with cheese and cucumber.