Za’atar rye focaccia with olives and figs

Place the three types of flour in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Using the dough hook attachment, mix in the water on a low speed for a few minutes until the mixture is nearly smooth. Cover with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes (resting the mixed dough without the yeast or salt helps to hydrate the flours and to encourage gluten development – this stage is called autolyse)

Add the yeast and olive oil, and mix on a medium-high speed for 5-8 minutes until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth, adding 15g of the salt in the final minute. Transfer the dough to a large container with a lid, or to a lightly-greased bowl and cover. Leave to rise for 1 hour

To macerate the figs, place the figs in a bowl or container with the honey, balsamic vinegar and remaining 2g of salt. Gently mix to combine, then leave to macerate for 2 hours, stirring occasionally (place in the fridge if it’s particularly warm)

Using wet hands, carefully lift the dough up from the middle so the top end of the dough folds underneath itself. Repeat until the dough is completely coiled underneath itself and has tightened – this is called a ‘coil fold’. Cover the dough and leave for 1 hour

Repeat the coil fold, cover and leave for a final hour, or until the dough has increased in size and looks aerated (this will depend on the heat of your kitchen)

Line a 32cm x 22cm baking tray with baking paper and grease with a generous splash of olive oil. Set aside

Using a dough scraper, tip the dough onto a clean surface, shape into an oval and tuck in the edges to create surface tension, then transfer to the tray, cover and allow to prove for 30-45 minutes, until aerated

Lightly oil your hands and dimple the dough by pressing gently into it. Drain and distribute the figs and olives into the holes, pressing them down into the dough. Leave to prove for another 30-40 minutes – you know the dough is ready when you press it with the tip of your finger, and it bounces back slowly. If it bounces back quickly, it’s underproved, and if it’s overproved it won’t spring back at all

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 240°C

Scatter the top of the dough with flaky sea salt and za’atar. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200°C and bake for a further 20-25 minutes, or until the focaccia is cooked through (it will be springy to the touch and golden – you can carefully lift the bread up and look at the underside – if it looks grey or undercooked return it to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes). Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Drizzle olive oil over the top of the focaccia then slice and serve with extra olive oil for dipping