Instructions: How to make the starter:
Starter is used to leaven the bread. It is usually a leftover of dough from the previous baking. Just before baking, the saved piece of dough is dissolved in warm water and added to the new dough.

If there is no starter left, a new one has to be made. Mix all starter ingredients, keep in a warm spot to ensure maximum fermentation. The starter should be ready in 24 hours. It gives bread a pleasant sour taste. Some homemakers would add sour milk instead of water.

How to make the dough:
1. Heat water to 40-45 C, pour half of the flour in, add starter and mix well.

2. Sprinkle dough with flour and place in a warm spot to ferment. During fermentation, the volume of the dough will almost triple. Fermentation is complete in about 14 hours.

3. Beat dough, add remaining flour, salt and knead well. Smoothen the top of the dough, dampen with wet hands, cover and place in a warm spot to rise for about 3 hours.

How to bake the juoda rugine duona:
4. Prepare baking pan by lining it with maple or cabbage leaves or dust with flour.

5. Form oblong loaves, smoothen top with wet hands and place the loaves on the pan.

6. Heat oven to 200 C first, then put in the pan and bake for around 2-3 hours. Bread is ready when it produces a solid sound.

7. Dampen top of the loaves with cold water, cover loaves with a light linen cloth and let them cool off at room temperature. NOTICE: Do not place freshly baked loaves in a cold place, as this will cause the crust to separate.

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