Firstly, make a simple farmhouse style loaf with the fig and spelt flour blend. Lightly oil an 800g non-stick loaf tin.
Mix the flour, butter and semolina in a large bowl and combine by hand (or you can use an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook) until the butter is thoroughly incorporated. If you’re doing it by hand, use your fingers to rub it in until you have a breadcrumb-like consistency. Add the water, yeast and salt and mix into a dough. Lightly flour your work surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic.
Shape into a round, place back in the bowl, cover with a cloth, and leave to rest for 30-40 minutes at room temperature. Allow more time if your room is cold, or a little less time if warm.
After this preliminary rest, shape the dough, forming it into a bloomer shape to fit your tin. Flatten the dough with your palms and fold the top down to the centre and the bottom up to meet it in the middle. Swivel the dough around so that the short end of the rectangle is facing you, and roll and tuck the dough into a tight bloomer shape.
Place the dough in the loaf tin. Cover and leave it to prove for an hour or so at room temperature, until it has doubled in size. Halfway through the proving (after 30 minutes), sprinkle your loaf with a little semolina for the crust on top, and score as you please. Leave it to prove for the remaining 30 minutes (or until doubled in size).
Preheat your oven to 230°C. Spray the bottom of the oven with a little water to create steam just before you put your loaf in. Bake for 35 minutes until golden on top and the base sounds hollow when you knock it. Tip it out of the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. At this point, you could leave the recipe here and just enjoy the loaf fresh if you prefer.
To turn the loaf into melba toast, heat your oven to 180°C.
Slice the loaf into very thin slices, and remove the crusts. Place on a baking tray and leave to dry out and crisp up for 10 minutes or so, until golden brown.
Once cooled, serve with fruit and cheese, or pate.
