Directions are the same for the large or small loaf.

Day 1: Prepare the Starter

Mix the starter ingredients in a medium bowl and stir thoroughly until there are no dry bits of flour. Cover and let rest on the counter at room temperature overnight until it is well-risen, bubbly, and starting to collapse; about 8 to 12 hours.  If your kitchen is hot, it may take less time to fully activate.

Day 2: Final Dough

The next day, when the starter is ready, add about half of the water to the starter and stir to break it up.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour the starter over the dry ingredients and stir to incorporate.  Add in the remaining water and mix thoroughly to incorporate.

Add in more water (or flour) gradually, if necessary, to achieve a workable dough. It is sticky dough so it’s best to use wet hands.

Cover and let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes.  Stretch and fold the dough in the bowl using wet hands.

Cover again and let the dough rest at warm room temperature for 4-6 hours.  Perform stretch and folds every 45 minutes to an hour (using wet hands) for the first 2-4 hours. Then let the dough rest undisturbed for the final hour or two.

Continue with shaping the loaf or place it in the refrigerator overnight to cold ferment for 8-12 hours.  The cold ferment may not be necessary, but it worked better with my schedule so I did the cold ferment for both loaves.  

Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces.  For the large loaf, I had 1435 grams of dough so each piece was 287 grams.  For the smaller loaf, there was 715 grams of dough so each piece was 143 grams.

Roll one piece into a 20-inch log. Then roll it into a spiral shape.  See notes on shaping the middle spiral.

Divide the remaining pieces of dough in half and roll each piece into an 8-inch rope for the larger loaf, and 6-inch ropes for the smaller loaf.

Place the ropes in a circle on a large baking sheet, spaced evenly apart. They should look like rays of the sun. Curl the ends around, leaving a slight gap in the middle for the center spiral.

Place the center spiral on top.  Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap, bees wrap, or a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place, for 30 minutes.

While the loaf is proofing, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Brush the loaf with milk, or water, and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.