Ingredients
Sponge
350 g/ 12 oz/ 3 cups of strong white flour
25 g/ 1 oz/ ¼ of cup cocoa powder
25 g/ 1 oz/ 5 tsp of caster (superfine) sugar
6 g sachet easy blend yeast
¼ tsp of salt
225 m1/ 8 fl oz/ 1 cup of tepid water
25 g/ 1 oz/ 2 tbsp of butter, melted
75 g/ 2¾ oz/ 5 tbsp of glace (candied) cherries, chopped roughly
75 g/ 2¾ oz/ ½ cup of dark chocolate chips
50 g/ 1¾ oz of sultanas (golden raisins)
75 g/ 2¾ oz of no-soak dried apricots, roughly chopped
GLAZE
1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
1 tbsp water
Preparation
- Lightly grease a 900 g/ 2 lb loaf tin (pan).
- Sieve (strain) the flour and cocoa into a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in the sugar, yeast and salt.
- Mix together the tepid water and butter.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the liquid.
- Mix well with a wooden spoon, then use your hands to bring the dough together.
- Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until a smooth elastic dough forms.
- Return to a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
- Roll out to a rectangle about I cm/'h inch thick and the same width as the length of the tin (pan).
- Scatter the cherries, chocolate chips, sultanas (golden raisins) and chopped apricots over the dough.
- Carefully roll up the dough, like a Swiss roll, enclosing the filling.
- Transfer to the loaf tin (pan), cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for 20 minutes or until the top of the dough is level with the top of the tin (pan).
- To make the glaze, mix together the sugar and water; then brush it over the top of the loaf.
- Bake in a preheated oven, 200°C/ 400°F/ Gas Mark 6, for 30 minutes or until well risen. Serve.
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