Place pitted dates and hot coffee into a small dish for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place all other ingredients except rye flour into the Thermomix bowl and blend 10 sec/speed 6.
Tip into an oiled bowl and fold in the drained dates. Cover and and leave for approximately 8-16 hours or until doubled. If it is summer, this make take less time. You can do a couple of folds during this time. It is nice to feel the elasticity of the dough and get to know how it should feel when it is ready to shape.
If you need to go do something else and cannot keep an eye on it, cover it well and place into the fridge until you are ready to proceed.
When you are ready to form the loaf, decide which shape you will make. We used a banneton to proof the loaf again. Using the rye flour, shape the loaf gently using the pull and fold technique (see the video) and allow it to rise in the banneton until bubbly and you can see that it is ready. This may take up to 4 hours or more. It should jiggle slightly when shaken and should ideally be obvious that it is well proofed.
Preheat your oven to as hot as it can get for at least an hour. My oven goes to 275°C which is the temperature I use in the first cooking time. You need to preheat the Dutch oven at the same time. Tip your dough out onto a piece of baking paper. Place into the Dutch Oven.
Bake covered for exactly 6 minutes, then remove and score as you wish. (This is my new method and it works a treat!)
Cover and return to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and reduce the oven temperature to 200°C and bake for a further 30 minutes or until it sounds completely hollow when tapped with just your finger. If it doesn't sound hollow, the loaf will be doughy when cut.
Cool completely before slicing. (If you are disciplined enough!)
Be aware that as long as the loaf is hot (even though removed from the oven) it is still baking internally. This is why you should try and leave it alone for as long as you can resist!