Fig bread

THE idea for this bread came after trying a rather heavy fig baguette while on holiday in France. Back home, figs were bought and a recipe adapted from Suzanne Dunaway's No Need To Knead.

While this method mostly does away with kneading, the bread works best with the long rests, which allow the flavour to develop. The result is a light, ciabatta-type loaf, sweetened by the dried figs, but still savoury. It makes a good partner for cheese and toasts very well.

The following amount makes two loaves.

Ingredients:

For the starter: a teaspoon of active dried yeast/ one sachet of easy-blend yeast

240ml lukewarm water

100g strong white flour

60g dark rye flour.

Mix the active dried yeast with the water and leave until active. Then stir everything together vigorously. If using the easy-blend variety, simply combine all the ingredients straight away and stir. Cover and leave overnight at room temperature.

Bread ingredients:

480ml lukewarm water

700g strong white flour

2 teaspoons salt

150g dried figs.

Chop the figs, making sure to cut off the stalks. Mix all of the bread ingredients with the over-night starter in a bowl that will fit in the fridge. Rub olive oil into your hands and give the dough a few quick turns and stretches in the bowl. It will be too wet for traditional kneading, but this is what makes for a light bread. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and place in the fridge all day or even overnight.

Before baking, remove the bowl from the fridge and leave for two hours so that the dough can warm up.

Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Carefully tip the very wet dough on to an oiled work surface, slice in two with a scraper or even cut with scissors. Manhandle the dough on to a baking sheet, roughly shape and leave to rise for about 40 minutes. For the final ten minutes or so of the rise, heat your oven to as high as it will go. Before baking, reduce temperature to 200C or gas mark six and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove and cool on wire trays.

TIP: I left my loaves to rise in floured bannetons or bread-proving baskets. These make a great present for home bakers. The website bakerybits.co.uk sells them.