Simple Twisted Bread by Miro van Vreckem, ELT Bakeri

This is a simple bread you can make even if you haven’t mastered shaping a sourdough bread yet. It’s quick and easy to produce but still has a touch of artisanship. Be sure your sourdough starter is healthy and active before beginning.

DAY 1

• 20 g sourdough starter
• 40 g all-purpose or bread flour, 11-12% protein
• 40 g water

1. Combine all of the ingredients and leave to rise for 12 hours at room temperature in a covered container.

DAY 2

• 500 g all-purpose or bread flour, 11-12% protein
• 50 g oat flakes
• 350 g water
• 13 g salt
• 100 g risen sourdough from Day 1 (above)

1. Place all the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
2. Knead for 4 minutes at low speed and 6 minutes at high speed or until the dough temperature reaches 74°F (23 °C).
3. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes in the mixing bowl, covered with plastic wrap to keep it from drying.
4. Stretch and fold the dough once.
5. Let the bread rise for approximately 5 hours, until it has nearly doubled in volume.
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and loosely shape it into a long loaf.
7. Twist the loaf 3 to 4 times to create a rustic spiral shape.
8. Place the shaped loaf in a floured proofing basket, then cover it with a kitchen towel.
9. Let it rise for another two hours at room temperature.
10. Place the dough on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 455°F (235 °C).
11. Reduce the heat to 428°F (220 °C) and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Make sure there is sufficient steam in the oven during baking.

“The sourdough baking book”, text Miro Van Vreckem, photography Thierry Van Vreckem, has been published by Lannoo Publishers, 2025

Miro van Vreckem is a young, ambitious entrepreneur who made his home in Norway, where he founded Elt Bakeri,- a bakery known for its high-end pastries and, above all, its exceptional artisanal sourdough bread. He trained at the prestigious Pastry Academy in Las Vegas, and in 2023, Elt Bakeri was named one of the 17 best bakeries in all of Norway.

Photos by Thierry Van Vreckem

(This article appeared in the Spring 2026 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)