Vegan Fig & Anise Bread

🛒 Ingredients

• #Dough;
• 300 g wholemeal / whole wheat bread flour.. 200 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g (1 sachet) instant dried yeast.. 1½ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground aniseed (or 1 tbsp whole anise seeds, lightly crushed)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar.. 320–340 ml warm water.. 1 tbsp olive oil
• #Add‑ins;
• 150 g dried figs, stems removed and chopped into chunks
• 1 tbsp warm water or orange juice (to soften figs if dry)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Prep the figs: Soak chopped figs in warm water or orange juice for 10 minutes if they are very firm; drain thoroughly and pat dry so they don’t make the dough too wet.

2. 2

   Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine both flours, yeast, sugar, ground aniseed, and salt. Pour in warm water and olive oil, mixing to form a shaggy, slightly sticky dough.

3. 3

   Knead: Turn onto a clean surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Gently work in the dried figs during the final 2–3 minutes — avoid over‑mixing so the fruit stays intact.

4. 4

   First rise: Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, cover, and leave in a warm place for 2–2.5 hours until doubled in size and springy to the touch.

5. 5

   Shape & second rise: Gently deflate the dough, shape into a tight round, and place on a floured baking tray or banneton. Cover and rise again for 1–1.5 hours until puffy and well‑risen.

6. 6

   Bake: Preheat oven to 220 °C (425 °F) with a baking tray at the bottom for steam. Dust the loaf with extra flour and score the top with a sharp knife. Bake for 10 minutes, add a splash of water to the hot tray for steam, then lower heat to 200 °C (400 °F) and bake for another 30–35 minutes until deep crusty brown and the base sounds hollow when tapped.

7. 7

   Cool: Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing — the crumb will finish setting as it cools.