Plaited golden fruit loaf

This plaited fruit loaf is simple to make and is sure to earn you ‘star baker’ status. Packed with apricots, sultanas and chopped apple, and scented with orange zest and cinnamon, it’s a taste sensation. Enjoy for breakfast, buttered as toast or as a teatime treat. It freezes beautifully, so why not slice and freeze to enjoy on a rainy day!

Ingredients

• You will need
  A flat baking tray, non-stick baking paper, a tea towel, a large plastic mixing bowl, small bowl, balloon whisk and clingfilm
• 350g strong white flour
  150g plain flour
  1/2 tsp cinnamon
  1/2 tsp mixed spice
  1.5 tsp salt
  2 tsp orange zest
  1 tsp lemon zest
  100g sultanas
  1 small apple, cored and finely chopped
  10g dried apricots, chopped
  1 x 7g sachet dried yeast
  50g caster sugar
  40g butter, melted
  1 egg, lightly beaten
  250ml warm milk
  2 tbsp warm honey, to glaze

Method

1. Put the warm milk, sugar and yeast into a small bowl and whisk with a balloon whisk. Put in a warm place in the kitchen for about 20 minutes, it should froth up a bit.
2. Put all of the flour into a large mixing bowl with the mixed spice, cinnamon, apple, dried fruit, salt and the orange and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
3. Add the milk and yeast mixture that you’ve already made to the dry ingredients with the melted butter and egg.
4. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough attachment to knead for about 8 minutes, if making by hand, tip onto a lightly-floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until elastic and no longer sticky.
5. Put into a lightly buttered, large bowl and cover with clingfilm or a tea towel and leave to rise for about an hour.
6. Cut the dough into three pieces, roll each piece into a sausage with lightly-floured hands.
7. Put a piece of non-stick baking paper on a flat baking tray.
8. Put the three sausages of dough onto the baking paper and neatly plait together. Tuck the loose ends underneath for a neat finish and to ensure the plait stays intact.
9. Cover the bread with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm spot. This may take 1-2 hours.
10. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
11. Bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees and then turn the oven down to 180 degrees and bake for a further 20-25 minutes or until golden and sounding hollow if tapped on the bottom.
12. While the loaf is baking, melt the honey and put to one side.
13. Take the loaf out of the oven, brush with honey and leave to cool on its tray before slicing.