Prep: 3 hrs
Cook: 50 mins
Cuts into 8 slices
Ingredients
500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 x 7g sachets easy-blend dried yeast
100g golden caster sugar
200ml milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g butter, softened
175g dried cranberries
100g candied peel, finely chopped
85g white chocolate, chopped into chunks
To finish
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp flaked almonds
Method
Step 1
Tip the flour, yeast and 1 tsp salt into the food processor fitted with
a dough blade. Mix briefly, then add the sugar and mix again.
Warm the milk to hand hot and, in a separate bowl, beat the eggs
with the vanilla extract. Add both the milk and eggs to the dry
ingredients and mix to a soft dough. Work the dough in the
processor for 2 mins, then leave in the machine until doubled in
size, about 1 hr.
Step 2
Cut softened butter into the processor, pulse until incorporated,
leave for a further 1 hr to rise again. Add the cranberries, candied
peel and white chocolate to the machine, then pulse gently to mix
evenly.
Step 3
Butter and base line a 20cm deep cake tin. Make a 10cm collar
with double thickness baking paper and line the sides of the tin. Tip
the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to
shape into a ball. The dough will be very soft, so flour your hands
well before handling it and work quickly. Drop the dough into the tin
and leave to rise for 30 mins. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Step 4
Brush top of the dough liberally with beaten egg and scatter over
almonds. Bake for 45-50 mins until the well risen and deep golden
brown. Turn out of the tin and cool on a wire rack. Cut into wedges
to serve. Will keep for 2 weeks wrapped in foil, or freeze on the day
of making for up to 1 month.