Bread baked on horseradish leaves – a forgotten Polish tradition?

I'm Polish and recently started baking bread more often. I came across an old method where people would bake bread on a horseradish leaf. It was common in rural areas of eastern and southern Poland. The leaf acted as a natural barrier between the dough and the hot surface, prevented sticking, and added a subtle aroma.
It’s not something you see often anymore, even in Poland, but I love how simple and beautiful it is. I just tried it myself for the first time, and I’m really happy with the results – the bread had this amazing smell, like dry hay or sun-dried leaves
Sharing my results here – Have you seen similar baking tricks in other cultures? Would love to hear!

Ingredients:
* 220 g active sourdough starter (rye-based)
* 900 g wheat flour (typ 650)
* 200 g spelt flour
* 100 g oat flour
* 100 g wholewheat flour
* 950 g water
* 30 g salt
* Linseeds, sunflower seeds, black cumin
Method:
1. Mix the starter with water, all flours, salt, and seeds.
2. Perform 4 folds during bulk fermentation at room temperature.
3. Shape into a basket.Sprinkle a horseradish leaf with flour and place it on top of the loaf (vein side down) to leave a beautiful imprint and prevent sticking.
4. Cold-proof for 24 hours in the fridge.
5. Bake in a Dutch oven:
* 30 min at 245°C with the lid on
* 30 min at 235°C uncovered

In rural Poland, bread was typically made with rye or wholemeal wheat flour, depending on the region and what was available.
Black cumin (czarnuszka) has a long tradition in Polish baking. It was often added to bread in the countryside for its strong, distinctive aroma.
My dough recipe isn’t strictly traditional – I wanted to make something a bit lighter and more airy, using a mix of wheat, spelt, and oat flours. But the idea of baking on a horseradish leaf and adding black cumin definitely draws from that rural heritage.
I might try a more old-school version next time.