Buckwheat croutons with feta and figs

Recipe from " Coffee Journal "

• 500 g of Ruggeri Buckwheat Flour
• 200 ml of warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of Ruggeri toasted malt
• 2 tablespoons of Ruggeri Active Mother Yeast with wheat germ
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 100g feta
• figs
• parsley
• a pinch of pepper
• oil to taste

1. Prepare the bread: in a jug pour the warm water, a teaspoon of toasted malt (to improve leavening) and two tablespoons of active sourdough, mix until the two compounds dissolve. In a large bowl, pour the buckwheat flour, a pinch of salt and extra virgin olive oil, add the water with the sourdough and mix vigorously. If the mixture is too floury, add a few tablespoons of warm water, while if it is sticky add some flour (not too much). The dough must be lump-free and compact. Cover the large bowl with a damp cloth, then let the bread rest in a dry place (I always choose the oven off) for a couple of hours, or even better all night.
2. Take the dough, grease a plumcake mold with oil and place the still raw bread inside. Turn the oven on to 200° C and place a pan with water on the lower rack (this is used to create steam and therefore obtain a crispy crust and a soft crumb). Make some cuts on the surface of the loaf, brush with extra virgin olive oil and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 160° and bake for another 20-25 minutes. To confirm that the bread is cooked, knock your knuckles on the base: if you hear a "hollow" sound, the bread is ready!
3. Let it rest for an hour, then cut into slices that are not too thick and use a round cookie cutter to make the croutons.
4. Fill the crostini: crumble a little feta on top, place a slice of fig (without peel), some parsley, a pinch of pepper and a drizzle of oil. You can replace the figs with slices of pear adding a drizzle of acacia honey, or recreate Mediterranean-style crostini with Taggiasca olives and caramelized red onions.