Lardy Cake

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 lb strong flour
• extra flour, for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ounce caster sugar
• 1 (1/4 ounce) packet fast-rising active dry yeast
• 1/2 ounce lard
• 10 fluid ounces tepid water
• oil, for greasing
• 3 ounces lard
• 2 ounces butter
• extra butter, for greasing
• 8 ounces mixed dried fruit (currants, raisins, sultanas, candied peel)
• 3 ounces light muscovado sugar
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon boiling water

Recipe

• 1 mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowland rub in the lard.
• 2 make a well in the middle and pour in the water, bit by bit- mix to a soft dough.
• 3 turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
• 4 place in an oiled bowl& cover with oiled clingfilm; leave to rise for about 1 hours or until doubled in size.
• 5 turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to a rectangle about 1/4 in thick.
• 6 dot the surface with about 1/3 each of the lard, butter, dried fruit and sugar.
• 7 fold into three, bringing one end up and the other end down (or to the left and right) seal the edge to trap the air and then give the dough a quarter turn.
• 8 repeat with the remaining fat, fruit and sugar.
• 9 lightly butter a 9in by 12 in roasting tin, lightly roll out hte dough to fit and place the dough in the tin.
• 10 cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise until doubled in size (about 30 mins).
• 11 score the top of the dough in a criss-cross pattern and bake in a preheated oven at gas mark 6/200 degc/400degf for about 30 mins until well risen and golden brown.
• 12 leave to cool in the roasting tin for about 10 mins- this is to let the cake soak up the sugar/fat mixture that will have run out.
• 13 dissolve the caster sugar in the boiling water& brush on top of the loaf.
• 14 eat when cool.