Fig and spelt sourdough

I've made this one a few times and generally been happy with it but had been mixing up too much dough to fit a batard loaf in my dutch oven and the boules (filling the base) are just not user friendly to cut. I've also switched to adding a cold retard instead a same day bake, which has greatly improved the final product. I've reduced the total flour weight to under 500g which yields a very practical sized loaf.

Levain:

74g rye flour, 60g water, 30g white stiff starter

Mix the levain ingreds and leave overnight. I think this one was sitting for 15 hrs before I could add it to the dough mix.

Dough:

white bread flour 318g

white spelt 98g

water 347g

light malt 10g

liquid malt 10g

salt 10g

soft dried figs about 98g, chopped

Mix flours and water autolyse 30 mins. Add levain and malts, slow mix with the bench mixer to combine. Add salt.

Mixed for 9-10 mins on a faster speed until I was happy with the windowpane.

Rest in a covered bowl 30 mins. Perform 4 sets of folds with 30 min intervals. I incorporated the figs in at folds #3 but found it was harder to keep them on the inside with another set of folds and then the preshape so next time will fold them in at the last set.

Rest 1-2 hrs after the last folds.

Preshape and bench rest uncovered 30 mins.

Shape into a batard and into an oval basket. Overnight cold retard for about 14 hrs.

Slashed and baked in a preheated dutch oven at 240'c for 15 mins, reduce heat to 220'c for another 15 mins.

Lid off and bake another 15 mins or so to desired crust.

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Nice spread of figs throughout the loaf, shattering crust and pleasant, earthy flavour. Could even aim for a higher percentage of rye quite easily. Had a couple bits of fruit pop out the top of the loaf but not burnt as it was cooked under a lid for most of the bake. Brilliant toast. Was a little bit too crusty on the bottom for my weaker bread knife so maybe less preheating of the dutch oven next time.

(15% of total flour and water was in the levain.)

Total flour 490g, 15% rye, 65% white, 20% white spelt

water 83%

malt 2%

liquid malt 2%

salt 2%

figs 20%