Spiced fruit loaf

Ingredients

• 450 g strong flour white for dusting
• 14 g sachets easy-blend yeast 
• 50 g caster sugar 
• 150 ml warm milk 
• 1  eggs beaten
• 50 g butter unsalted melted for greasing
• 16 servings oil for greasing
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1 tsp ground ginger 
• 50 g apricots dried chopped
• 50 g fig dried chopped
• 50 g date pitted chopped
• 50 g sultana 
• 50 g glacé cherry chopped
• 1  juice of orange 

Equipment

• bowl
• oven
• mixing bowl
• sieve
• wooden spoon
• kitchen towels

Directions

1. Soak the dried fruits in the orange juice for about 30 mins, then sieve, reserving the juice.
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.
3. 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 its too wet, add more flour.
4. Knead in the bowl or on a floured surface until the dough becomes smooth and springy.
5. 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.
6. 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
7. Bake for 20 mins, then cool in the tins before turning out and slicing.