One of the joys of baking/cooking is the amount of wonderful flavour combinations you can try! Some work and some don't but the excitement in trying out new combos reverts one back to that child like feeling when your messing round with a chemistry set with visions of creating your own frankensteins monster!
Now this combination of fig and fennel is a real winner and has been the blockbuster bread of the summer at the bakery and it has a monster flavour that will have you yearning for more!

For the ferment

150g strong white flour, 10g salt, 5g yeast and 100ml water

Place the flour into a mixing bowl, crumble in the yeast add the salt, then pour in the water. Mix for a good 6mins. You should have a nice loose almost batter like dough. Cover with a cloth and leave out at room temprature for 12 hours.

For the main dough

350g maltstar flour, 10g salt, 20g yeast, 20g fennel seeds, 100g chopped figs and 200ml of water.

1. Uncover the ferment it should be nice and bubbly and full of flavour for your bread.
2. Add the flour, yeast, salt and water.
3. Combine together until you start to get a dough(should take about 2mins)
4. Add the chopped figs and fennel seeds. Mix into the dough.
5. Tip your dough out onto a floured surface and continue to knead the dough until you have a nice velvety texture(should take about 8mins)
6. Place your dough back into the bowl and cover with a cloth.
7. Leave for 1hour or until your dough has doubled in size.
8. Take your dough out of bowl and gently mould it round.
9. Cover and leave for 10mins.
10. Push your round piece of dough out and mould into a fat torpedo shape.
11. Place your shaped dough onto a thin baking tray that has been dusted with semolina or lined with parchment paper.
12. Heavily dust your bread with white flour.
13. Leave out at room temperature for 45mins.
14. With a sharp knife slash along the top of the bread and place straight into a pre heated oven 220c gas mark7.
15. With a water spray spritz the side of the oven to create some steam.
16. Bake for 25 mins
17. Take out and allow to cool.

This bread has a monster flavour all of its own but works amazingly well with a big bowl of autumn soup!

If you feel you would like to develop your baking skills further our monday school is now open! Operating on the last monday of every month! Put your skills to the test in our bakery with expert tuition from my good self! Check website for details