Chop the middle of the cabbage (where the leaves are too small to use) and all leftover pieces of cabbage into fine strips.
Assemble: Place about half of the cabbage stripes on the bottom of a Dutch oven (or another oven-proof pot) in an even layer. Add one or two bay leaves and a generous sprinkle of dried savory and dill seeds on top.
Arrange the cabbage rolls in the pot (I had two layers of cabbage rolls) and add more bay leaves, savory and dill seeds between the layers. Top with the remaining chopped cabbage.
Mix the water, pureed tomatoes, sugar, salt (taste; the sauce should be salty enough), and pepper in a jug. Pour enough of this liquid into the pot to barely cover the cabbage rolls. Keep the rest, which you might need to add from time to time during the cooking process if the liquid cooks down too much.
Simmer: Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low, and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours or until the cabbage and the rice are soft.
Preheat the oven during the last half hour of the cooking time to 350°F/ 180°C.
Bake: Place the pot in the oven and cook, uncovered, for another 20 minutes or so or until the cabbage is nicely colored on top and the liquid has cooked down some more.