Make the Sponge

Oil a large bowl and a piece of plastic wrap. In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast and let stand for 5 minutes, or until frothy.

In a large bowl or a food processor, combine the flour or flours, yeast mixture, salt and room-temperature water and stir or process, adding more water if needed, until a soft, sticky dough forms.

With floured hands, shape the dough into a ball and transfer to the oiled bowl. Cover with the oiled plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, about 3 hours. The sponge is now ready to be used, but it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Remove from the refrigerator about 1½ hours before baking. If you don’t plan to bake the bread within 3 days, punch down the sponge to flatten it, wrap it in oiled plastic wrap, place in a zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer at least 4 hours before baking.

Make the Bread

In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast and let stand for 5 minutes, or until frothy.

In a food processor, combine the sponge, yeast mixture and ½ cup room-temperature water and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Clean the bowl of the food processor. In the processor, combine 4 cups flour, orange zest, salt, cinnamon and cloves and process until combined. With the motor running, pour in the sponge mixture, honey, wine and oil and process until a soft, sticky dough forms, adding more water if necessary if the dough is too stiff. Do not overwork the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead with floured hands until smooth, elastic and only slightly sticky, about 5 minutes, adding more flour if necessary.

Oil a large bowl and a piece of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to the oiled bowl. Cover with the oiled plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, about 3 hours.

Generously sprinkle a pizza peel with cornmeal. Combine the walnuts and figs in a small bowl, if using. On a floured work surface, press the dough into a 12-x-10-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the walnut mixture evenly over it. Fold the two long sides into the center, overlapping them to cover the walnut mixture. Fold the other two sides into the center and fold over to form a 6-x-5-inch rectangle, pinching the seams to seal. If not using the nuts and figs, shape the dough into a round loaf.

Transfer to the pizza peel. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

About 1 hour before baking, place a pizza stone on the bottom oven rack or line with four to six unglazed tiles and preheat the oven to 450°F.

About 15 minutes before baking, place an empty roasting pan on the bottom rack of the oven. In a medium saucepan, bring about 1½ quarts water to a boil.

With a single-edged razor blade or a very sharp knife held perpendicular to the loaf, slash an X about 5 inches long and ½ inch deep in the top of the dough, being careful not to cut too near the edge of the loaf. Sprinkle the stone or tiles with cornmeal and carefully slide the bread onto the stone or tiles. Immediately pour the boiling water into the roasting pan (it will steam vigorously) and close the oven door. After 1 minute, open the door and spray the bread three times with water. Close the door and bake for 2 minutes, then repeat the spraying. Bake for 10 minutes more, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for 35 to 45 minutes more, or until the bread is browned on top and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Transfer the bread to a rack and cool completely before slicing.