Sourdough bread with figs and walnuts

Levain

1. Dissolve the starter in the water. Add the flour and mix thoroughly until the flour has been completely incorporated and moistened. Ferment at room temperature for 12 hours.

Bread

1. In a stand mixer, mix the flour and water at low-speed until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover and autolyse for 30 minutes. Coarsely chop or break apart the walnut pieces and toast them for 8 minutes at 170ºC. Allow to cool. Coarsely chop the dates, set aside.
2. Add the salt and levain to the autolyse, and mix at low-speed for 1-2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes. Add flour and water as needed. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl but not the bottom. Add the walnuts and the figs to the dough and mix at low-speed until well-distributed in the dough.
3. Transfer to a lightly floured board, do a stretch and fold, and form a ball. Place the dough in a bowl and cover tightly. Ferment at 24º C for 2 1/2 to 3 hours with a stretch and fold at 50 and 100 minutes.  Shape as a large ball and place in banneton. Proof at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Cold retard the shaped dough overnight.
4. The next morning, heat the oven to 250ºC. Score the bread as desired, and bake with initial steam, reducing the oven to 230ºC when the bread goes in. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, and cool completely on a rack before slicing.