Spiced fruit loaf

• strong white flour↗450g g

  plus extra for dusting

• 2 x 7g sachets easy-blend yeast
• caster sugar↗50g g
• warm milk150ml ml
• egg↗1

  beaten

• unsalted butter↗50g g

  melted, plus extra for greasing

• oil

  for greasing

• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger↗
• dried apricot↗50g g

  chopped

• dried fig↗50g g

  chopped

• pitted date↗50g g

  chopped

• sultana↗50g g
• glacé cherry↗50g g

  chopped

• juice 1 orange

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Soak the dried fruits in the orange juice for about 30 mins, then sieve, reserving the juice.

2. 2

   Put the flour, yeast, caster sugar and 1 tsp salt into a large mixing bowl with the spices and soaked fruit and mix well. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm milk, reserved orange juice, the beaten egg and the melted butter. Mix everything together to form a dough – start with a wooden spoon and finish with your hands. If the dough is too dry, add a little more warm water; if it’s too wet, add more flour.

3. 3

   Knead in the bowl or on a floured surface until the dough becomes smooth and springy. Transfer to a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rise until roughly doubled in size – this will take about 1 hr depending on how warm the room is.

4. 4

   Knock the dough back by kneading for a few secs. Dust 2 x 2lb loaf tins with flour. Halve the dough. Use a little flour to help you shape each half into a smooth oval, then pop them into the tins. Cover both loosely with a clean, damp tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for about 20 mins. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

5. 5

   Bake for 20 mins, then cool in the tins before turning out and slicing.