In a quarter cup of lukewarm water, to which you have put a small teaspoon of white sugar, dissolve
half a yeast cake. Turn this into a wooden bread bowl, with a pint of lukewarm water, a heaping teaspoon of salt, and one of caraway seed, and two cups of rye flour. Stir well and let it rise in a warm place for two hours. It should be full of bubbles when ready to work.
Put with it sufficient rye flour to make a very stiff dough, work it hard for ten minutes, let it rise two hours more, and knead again – this time on a floured board. Put the loaves in pans and when they have risen so that they begin to crack on the surface dip your hand in cold water, wet the loaves, and put them in the oven. Bake an hour and do not open the door until the bread has been in ten minutes. The oven should be very hot at first. Cover the bread with paper as soon as it browns on top.