I love baking bread and I've been baking bread for years now. It all began when I started craving and missing Czech bread and Czech rolls, followed by wanting my boys to know what Czech bread is. So, what is Czech bread? Well, it's one that I've recently started seeing here in the UK - Rye and White Sourdough. I used to bake with sourdough starter but after a year or so my starter died, and so I went back to yeast. I sometimes miss the sourdough taste, but it's a bit easier to bake with yeast. Another ingredient that makes it Czech are Caraway seeds. If you've never cooked with them, then you need to start now! Add them to the water when you boil potatoes, they go great with pork, cabbage and potato pancakes too. 

Now, lets talk about the making/baking process. I've baked this bread countless times and I like to experiment with how I make/bake it. If you are in a hurry, you could make it and bake it the same day, but I found that it's even better if you make the dough in the afternoon the day before, let it proof and put it in the fridge overnight. Then just bake when needed the next day. I've also started experimenting with cold oven bake (the dough goes straight from the fridge into cold oven) and I must say I'm impressed with this method! Whichever method you use, you will love the result. I also had a problem with bread doughs sticking to my proofing basket on occasion, but was advised to use Rice flour by the wonderful Instagram community and it worked a treat. I know it costs a bit more than a normal flour but it's really worth it.

Ingredients:

• 20g fresh yeast/ 5g active dried yeast

• 300g strong bread flour/plain flour

• 150g wholemeal (dark) rye flour

• 12g salt

• 5g caraway seeds

• 2tbsp olive/sunflower oil

• 300ml tepid water

• Rice flour 

Method:

1. If using a bread machine, add all the ingredients into the pan in order suggested by your bread machine instructions (sometimes it's wet ingredients first, some suggest dry first with yeast at the bottom). Set the programme to Basic - dough (no bake), this programme should be about 2 hours long. 

2. If using a kitchen mixer, add all the ingredients into the bowl and using a hook attachment, mix for about 10-12 minutes on medium speed. (If using hands, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it's a smooth texture). Shape into a ball, cover with cling film and let it proof for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.

3. After the first proof, take the dough out and start folding it half like a paper few times, lifting it as you go, then shape into required shape/pulling the dough ball towards you whilst turning to 'tighten it'. I'd recommend watching videos on how to shape a bread.

4. If you have a bread proofing basket, sprinkle it with rice flour (or plain flour), then place your shaped dough into the basket bottom side up. If you don't have a basket, use mixing bowl lined with tea towel. Cover with another tea towel, place in a plastic bag and put in a fridge.

5. For cold bake method: When you're ready to bake, take it out of the fridge, gently turn it out onto a baking tray/pizza stone lined with baking paper, score (but you don't have to) and put in the oven. Set it to 220'C/200'C Fan and bake for about 50 minutes. 

6. If baking traditionally in a preheated oven: Preheat the oven to higher temperature. If you're using pizza stone, make sure it's preheating too.  Turn your bread out onto a baking paper and use another tray to slide it onto a pizza stone. Pop some ice cubes in the bottom of the oven in a small dish to create steam. After 10 minutes, open the oven door to let the steam out and turn the temperature down to 190'C/170'C Fan. Bake for about 40 minutes.

7.  I've once read that to check that the bread is baked, knock on the bottom of the baked loaf and if it sounds 'hollow', it's done! So that's what I do :)

8. Let it cool on a wire rack and enjoy!