In a large bowl place the flour, brown sugar, yeast, salt and ground ginger.

Mix in the milk, espresso, and butter and use the dough hook of your mixer or knead by hand into a smooth dough, about 10 minutes.

The dough should be soft but not sticky.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a dish towel and stow in a warm place for 2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a large rectangle.

Arrange the dates on top of the dough then fold it in half, enclosing the chopped dates and knead for another 5 minutes.

Pat the dough out into a large oval and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Re-cover with the dish towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 465 degrees F.

Place a small cast iron pan on the bottom of the oven with 1/2 cup water in it.

Use kitchen shears to snip a large cut lengthwise down the middle of the bread and then make 3 smaller diagonal cuts on each side of the large cut.

Sprinkle with flour and place in the oven.

Bake for 3 minutes, then prop the oven door slightly open and bake for another 12 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 410 degrees F and bake for another 30 minutes.